For decades, the Teso sub-region carried the scars of conflict, cattle rustling, and insurgency that left communities economically weakened and social services crippled.
Today, the Ministry of Teso Affairs says its mission remains rooted in restoring hope and rebuilding communities through affirmative action programs targeting the region’s unique historical challenges.
Speaking while handing over projects worth approximately Shs1.5 billion to the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), a UPDF construction brigade, for implementation across several districts in the Teso sub-region in the closing phase of the 2025/2026 financial year, State Minister for Teso Affairs Kenneth Ongalo Obote defended the relevance of the ministry.
He argued that despite budget cuts, the ministry has transformed lives through education support, health interventions, micro-projects, and emergency assistance.
Obote said the ministry was specifically created to bridge the development gap caused by decades of insecurity in Teso, including cattle rustling in the 1980s, the Uganda People’s Army insurgency, the Alice Lakwena rebellion, and later the LRA conflict.
“We fell behind economically in Teso. For residents to raise money on their own to rehabilitate schools and other infrastructure is very difficult. That is why this ministry was created—to provide extra support because of the region’s history,” Obote explained.
A major focus of the ministry has been the rehabilitation and construction of classrooms in aging schools across the region.
According to Obote, many government-aided schools in Teso were established decades ago but have since deteriorated due to lack of maintenance and poverty among parents.
“One of the things we do is support already existing schools which have become dilapidated. Where the situation is bad, we step in with classroom blocks,” he said.
The minister cited projects in Bukedea District, Katakwi District, Kaberamaido District, Serere District, and Pallisa District, where the ministry has funded the construction and rehabilitation of classroom blocks.
At Abwoloi Primary School in Pallisa District, one of the benefiting schools, teachers said the intervention has improved learning conditions for more than 1,200 pupils who previously studied in old structures and sometimes under trees.
School administrators also praised the ministry for supplying iron sheets to refurbish aging classrooms and church structures that communities could not afford to repair.
Officials in Pallisa revealed that the ministry had delivered more than 600 iron sheets in recent years to schools and churches, including Nyarkoi Primary School, All Saints Cathedral, and St Faustina Catholic Church.
Beyond education, the ministry has also intervened in the health sector.
Obote said the ministry identified gaps in ambulance distribution, especially in newly created districts that lacked Health Centre IV facilities and therefore did not qualify for government ambulances.
The Ministry of Teso Affairs stepped in to provide ambulances to Kapelebyong District, Bukedea District, Kalaki District, and Kaberamaido District.
“Almost every district in Teso has received an ambulance from the Ministry of Teso Affairs,” Obote said.
The minister also defended the ministry’s micro-project funding model, saying it has helped women and youth groups establish sustainable livelihoods.
Under the program, selected parish groups received about Shs30 million to invest in projects of their choice.
Obote cited success stories where beneficiaries started with a few goats and later expanded into cattle rearing enterprises.
“In Bukedea, we found a group that started with goats using government support and now owns about 15 heads of cattle,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that misuse of funds by some beneficiaries remains a challenge.
The minister criticized what he described as growing misconceptions that nationwide programs like PDM, Emyooga, and the Youth Livelihood Fund have replaced affirmative action ministries.
Obote argued that affirmative action addresses historical disadvantages unique to regions like Teso.
He compared it to the additional 1.5 points historically awarded to girls joining university to enable them compete fairly with boys.
“The objectives of affirmative action are very different from programs like PDM,” he explained.
He warned that continued reductions in funding to affirmative action ministries risk undermining recovery efforts in regions still grappling with historical disadvantages.
Several local leaders commended the ministry for what they described as visible development across the region.
Former NRM chairman for Kaberamaido and Kalaki districts, C.B. Enepu, said the ministry had exceeded expectations by supplying ambulances, rehabilitating roads, constructing schools, and supporting vulnerable communities.
“The Ministry of Teso Affairs has met the expectations of the people of Teso,” Enepu said, adding that the ministry deserves elevation to a fully fledged ministry.
Local government officials also praised the ministry for directly monitoring projects and ensuring quality implementation.
Despite the achievements, Obote acknowledged that the ministry still faces major challenges, particularly limited funding.
He revealed that the ministry operates on a budget of about Shs3.2 billion while overseeing projects across the entire Teso sub-region.
The minister also pointed to the unfinished cattle compensation and restocking program as one of the biggest pending government pledges in Teso, Lango, and Acholi.
The planned household restocking initiative is estimated to cost more than Shs8 trillion.
Obote said the program will be implemented gradually due to its enormous financial implications.
The minister highlighted progress in larger regional investments such as Teso University and the Soroti Fruit Factory, which he said is improving under private management despite market and storage challenges.
He proposed the establishment of orange crushing centers across districts to reduce transport and storage costs for farmers supplying the factory.
As the current political term draws to a close, Obote insists the ministry’s existence remains justified.
“The reasons why affirmative action ministries were created still persist,” he said. “It is premature to think that these ministries are no longer needed.”
For many communities across Teso, classroom blocks, ambulances, refurbished schools, and livelihood projects stand as visible reminders of a ministry trying to close the development gap left behind by decades of instability.