By Alexander Mackey Okori
President Yoweri Museveni is to honor Reverend Father Raphael Loberei, a prominent Catholic priest of the Kotido Diocese, for his exceptional contributions to the Karamoja disarmament campaign and regional development.
Working as a trusted voice in the Karamoja sub-region, Fr. Loberei has successfully mediated between state security agencies and armed Karamojong rustlers.
He has personally received surrendered illegal firearms such as SMG rifles used in local ambushes and cross-border poaching, enabling reformed rustlers to safely surrender under the Presidential Amnesty program.
While officiating the grand opening of the Karamoja Cultural Event at Naitakwae grounds in Nadunget Sub-county, Moroto District on Wednesday, Museveni pledged to award Fr. Loberei and other peace actors received medals for their contribution to pacify Karamoja Sub-region.
This year’s Karamoja Cultural Event (KCE) which has increasingly become a platform for promoting peace, tourism and development in the Karamoja sub-region.is being held under theme “Unity in Culture, Strength in Peace, Prosperity through Tourism and Natural Resources.”
The activities include traditional dances, cultural exhibitions, traditional foods, crafts, peace dialogues, sports and discussions involving elders, women and youth.
The annual event brings together the Ateker Communities of Nyangatom of Ethiopia, Topotha, Bari and Torit of South Sudan, the Iteso, Karamojong, Jie, Dodoth, Kumam, Langi and Kakwa of Uganda, the Masai of Tanzania and the Turkana and Masai of Kenya.
In his remarks, Museveni directed his Principal Private Secretary (PPS)to schedule a meeting with Fr. Loberei and other peace coordinators across the region.
Museveni praised the people of Karamoja force embracing peace and, describing it as a foundation upon which the region’s development now stands.
President Museveni said the government disarmament campaign had ended years of violence cattle rustling that once plagued the region.
“When we first came here, the main challenge was insecurity caused by cattle rustling. What begin as a cultural practice for paying bride price had turned into commercial crime”, he said.
According to him, stolen cows were being sold cheaply in distant markets, some were even taken to Kalerwe in Kampala, while many innocent people were being killed.
He added that he had a duty to act. Some people said “You can’t disarm Karamojong unless you disarm the Turkana, Somalia or Ethiopia”. I told them my responsibility is Uganda. I will disarm my people and protect their lives”.
Museveni recalled the human toll of violence, noting that there was a woman in Nakapiripirit who had married married nine times, and all her husbands had been killed by armed cattle rustlers. What sort of country is that? Today, Karamoja is enjoying peace” he said.
The President noted that with security restored, social services such as education and health had flourished.
“Children are now going to school , and health services like immunization have improved because their is no more insecurity. The population is growing because people are surviving”, Museveni remarked.
In his speech, Fr. Loberei commended the president for his commitment to restore peace in Karamoja through disarmament program, which is now contributing to economic transformation.
He said the transformation in Karamoja was now visible, saying communities that were once associated with armed violence were beginning to embrace peaceful economic activities.
Fr. Loberei further praised the President for pardoning hundreds of Karamoja youth, who were arrested and convicted of minor offenses related to illegal gun possession and cattle rustling.
