The saving culture in Karamoja sub-region has over the years shown increased diversification of income, leading to resilience to drought among other household needs across the sub region’s nine districts.

Unspecified saving groups and individuals have opened up several cottage businesses, village bars, kiosks, butchers, local brew making and butcheries at the village level aimed at sustaining life.

However, due to the loss of cash, scores have resorted to cattle thefts and launching attacks on other group savings, an issue that has seen the reverse of gains made by both the traditional and modern saving culture.

The culture that had been embraced by the Karimojong led to varied and significant benefits within groups, ranging from attracting former cattle rustlers engagement with economic enterprises.

The saving groups, have over the years supported women to increase their confidence in individual business ventures across the sub region according to findings.

The chairperson Nacele disabled development group Anna Maruk says the loss of their saving to a phone fire that erased their settlement remains a misery.

Maruk says most members are now stranded with life, adding that most of them do not have the capacity to borrow because they could fail in loan repayment.

On the other hand, the chairperson for the Karimojong elderly group- Lokodangiro Longok from the same village says their saving box with over one million shillings was stolen from the granary.

Longok says the day suspected raiders attacked his home, all saucepans, food, beddings and the saving box were stolen, pointing out that the box was recovered by the police almost two kilometers by a police dog.

Meanwhile, the general secretary for Nacele disabled development group Andrew Lobur says the insecurity coupled with climate change have reversed all the gains made in the past decade.

With the changing trend, the district commercial officer Moroto Lawrence Achia has advised the groups to open up bank accounts to ensure their savings are safe from robbers.

Karamoja police spokesperson IP Mike Longole acknowledges the robbery of money boxes adding the police have been able to secure some of them by the canine.

Longole however says in the recent past, the canine department has recovered money boxes in Rupa and Ngoleriet sub counties in Moroto and Napak districts respectively.