The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has said the government has already discussed means of introducing irrigation schemes to help turn Karamoja sub region into Uganda’s food basket.
Tayebwa made the remarks during the consecration of Rev. Canon Simon Akol Aisu as the Second Anglican Bishop of North Karamoja Diocese. The event took place at the Christ Church Cathedral, in Kotido District on Sunday.
Tayebwa said the government is very passionate about Karamoja and promised to broker an urgent meeting between Karamoja members of Parliament and the President to further discuss food security through irrigation and mechanised agriculture.
He said the Karamoja sub-region has enormous potential to become the food basket of Uganda and the region.
“There is a potential of Karamoja feeding the whole of the country and the region. That is the greatest security we can give to Karamoja. The more the people are given activities, the less they will engage in criminal activities such as stealing,” he said, noting that Karamoja only needs to be helped to boost its potential.
Tayebwa urged the church and all the other religions to actively mobilise and support this initiative.
“We can’t leave Karamoja to survive in nature. God has given us resources as a government and now it’s upon us to use them effectively to transform this area,” he said.
The Archbishop Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugulu congratulated the new Bishop and urged him to preach peace, and wealth to achieve the much sought-after social-economic transformation.
He urged the Karamoja sub-region to appropriately utilise the resources given to them by God to save lives, noting that North Karamoja was a very promising diocese since its inception but has been stunted by insecurity.
He said that education cannot happen where there’s insecurity. “Insecurity brings hunger and famine because people cannot engage in agricultural activities freely. Insecurity causes people to be isolated and shunned by the rest of the world,” he said, urging Christians to love and strive for unity and peace.
Kaziimba also urged the government to support Karamoja with irrigation schemes and tractors for people to engage in commercial agriculture. He called on the government to deliberately invest in compulsory free education to bring mindset change
Bishop Akol Aisu preached peace and reconciliation, saying the development and growth of the Church cannot be achieved without peace and unity in the families, unity among Christians, community, and nation.
“Throughout our time in the diocese, we will focus our efforts on this theme: "Peaceful United Christians for Service and Growth”. This will be our Christian message to our people throughout the Diocese during the tenure of our ministry in order to promote spiritual and economic growth in the Church,” he said.
Bishop Akol Aisu said his administration would prioritise evangelism, scripture and the Bible, capacity building and staff welfare, management of diocesan property among others.
He said his administration will be active partners with the ministry of education and sports to ensure that standards and quality education is given to learners within the diocese.
Bishop Aisu was born on August 6, 1964 in Nabilatuk district. Bishop Aisu has a bachelor's of divinity from the Uganda Christian University after receiving a diploma and certificates in the same fields.
He has also participated in several capacity-building training sessions. Aisu, who is currently the sub-dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Kotido, has served in several positions in both Karamoja and North Karamoja dioceses, including that of archdeacon, theological college principal, diocesan secretary and parish priest.
