Karamoja leaders demand sediment removal from dams

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Leaders of the Karamoja sub-region have demanded the Ministry of Water to clear the dams to increase storage during this rainy season.

Multi-million dollar water projects such as Kobebe in Moroto, Arechek in Napak, Longoromit in Kaabong, Kaomeri in Abim and Kailong in Kotido, which were built between 2009 and 2011, are now silted up due to mismanagement by pastoralist communities.

Leaders are calling for sediment to be removed from the dams and more water dams to be built to capture the access water that is causing flash flooding in the community due to heavy rains.

Faith Nakut, Member of Parliament for Napak district, said they currently have six dams, which also require silting, and another four dams are yet to be built along with an artificial lake in Lopei sub-county.

Nakut said creating more dams would help address the challenge of herders traveling long distances to water their livestock. He also observed that insufficient water facilities have always forced herders to cross over to neighboring Teso districts struggling for water sources.

Nakut called on the Water Ministry to consider desilting the six existing dams while they wait for funds to create more dams. He noted that streams now pour water into Teso, although it could have been captured and stored to help the Karamojong community during the dry season.

Nakut is optimistic that creating more dams would help boost household food production through irrigation.

John Robert Adupa, LC III chairman of Lotisan sub-county, which is home to the Kobebe Dam, said clearing the dams would increase storage capacity.

Adupa urged the Water Ministry to pay more attention to the maintenance of the dam because the sub-county has limited resources to manage the facility.

Adupa explained that they are struggling to reactivate the Kobebe Dam, which is in poor condition after water taps and valves broke down.

He said several appeals have been made to the district authorities and other partners to support the maintenance of the dam but all were in vain.

Jackson Angella, an elder from Moroto District, questioned why water facilities like the Kobebe Dam were vandalized when security forces were responsible for protection.

Angella also blamed Moroto District engineers for blocking the water channels that used to feed the Kobebe Dam during the time of construction of the safety road.

Angella noted that authorities in Napak, Moroto and Kotido districts should unite and push for resources for dam protection.

He also expressed fear that the dams will not store enough water this rainy season due to siltation and that this could lead to flash floods.

Eng James Bond Olinga, Karamoja Regional Director of Water Production, said they plan to renovate several dams that are in poor condition before building more.

Olinga pointed out that the dams require desilting and they are already carrying out the evaluation to know the level of sediment to be able to decide when to carry out the process.

Olinga said they also plan to build two dams at Lemusui, bordering Nakapiripirit-Amudat, and the Nawoiporon dam will be at Kotido, bordering Kaboong and Moroto districts, under the drought resilience project of Karamoja.

The project has a main dam component and valley tanks around the dam to act as a buffer so animals only access the dam during the dry season.

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