Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of local leaders in the Karamoja sub-region are disappointed with the speech President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni delivered in Kampala to honor the late Simon Peter Aleper, former Member of Parliament for Moroto municipality .
The President was unhappy with Albert Lokoru, a Member of Parliament for Tepeth County in the Moroto district where an Indian investor intends to establish the cement factory.
He blamed Lokoru for sabotaging the project, stating that when the Indian investors wanted to set up a factory producing cement, local leaders wanted to sell them land, and the Indians were not willing to buy.
The concerns were raised on Saturday during the Karamoja Regional Council session to pay tribute to the former Member of Parliament for Moroto municipality, Simon Peter Aleper.
Aleper who was also National Resistance Movement Central Executive Committee Member died in a fatal motor accident at Bukoona along Iganga-Tirinyi road in the wee hours of Tuesday morning while on his way to Kampala.
The President’s statements did not go well with local leaders in the Karamoja who said that would create disunity and division among the Karamojong communities.
The leaders said that the Indian investor has been exploiting the local people since 2002 and the leadership is trying everything possible to have the issues addressed.
According to leaders, the President’s statements were meant to scare and stop them from raising the issues affecting their people and defending the rights of a local person.
Paul Lokol, the LC5 chairperson of Nabilatuk district said that a lot of land in the region has been robbed in the name of investors for development.
Lokol said the Indian investor has been operating in Tapac Sub County for a long time and failed to integrate and only listened to the local people if the President intervened.
Lokol noted that they shall not stop advocating for the rights of their local people who have been exploited due to biting poverty.
He also observed that someone else could have misled the President about what was going on to the people of Karamoja.
Stephanie Adupa, the Moroto district female councilor representing Tapac Sub County said that the investors have exploited the community and destroyed the environment and the effort to address the issues is futile.
Adupa said that the investors have suppressed their voices and anyone who tries to speak up is threatened using state agencies.
Adupa noted that it is upon that background the Member of Parliament for Tepeth County Albert Lokoru and the late Simon Peter Aleper intervened in negotiation processes between the community and investors.
She added that it is very unfortunate to see a leader who is trying to fight for the rights of the local person being oppressed.
Emmanuel Lokii, the Moroto male district councilor representing Rupa Sub County said that they shall not entertain investors who want to make profits while the hosting community is starving.
Lokii said that the people should be given a right to negotiate with the investors accordingly and not use State forces.
He noted that the accused Lokoru was right to defend his people who have for long been exploited by the mining companies around their areas.
The leaders also demanded special investigations and the arrest of the driver who knocked the late Aleper dead. They faulted police for failing to identify the car that caused an accident amid security cameras along the highways.
Isaac Lokol, the LC3 Chairperson of South Division in Moroto municipality urged the President to order security forces to release the accident report.
Lokol said that they cannot rely on the police preliminary report which does not make any sense to them.
He said the vehicle should be identified and the driver be arrested to give justice for the deceased.
Joseph Otita, the LC3 Chairperson of Rupa Sub County explained that the vehicle that knocked the late came from sideways.
Otita noted that there must be cameras along the road where the unknown car came from and it is the responsibility of the police to get the footage that would lead to arrest.
Otita also appealed to the government to consider supporting the people who have been depending on the late Aleper besides the family.
On Friday, President Museveni paid his last respects to the former Member of Parliament for Moroto municipality the late Aleper at the NRM Party Secretariat office in Kampala.
In his address to the mourners, President Museveni commended Aleper for spearheading developmental programs in the Karamoja.
He noted that the late Aleper tirelessly advocated for the unity and sensitization of his people to welcome the investors who are establishing factories that create job opportunities for the Karamojong youths.
He however was critical of MPs in the area.
Museveni said that the government through the late Aleper engaged the locals and sensitized them about the benefits of the factory and they agreed to donate 500 acres of land for the cement factory.
Aleper’s body was received on Saturday at Nadunget Airstrip by Karamoja Leaders and taken to Moroto Boma grounds for a special regional council sitting. Today the body was taken to St Philip cathedral in Moroto municipality for the vigil and later left for his home in Napak district where he will be laid to rest on Tuesday
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