Dr. Ayub Mukisa: To President Museveni: Thank You for Elevating Karamoja Through Lady Justice Abodo

I wish one of the earlier writers on Karamoja were here to witness some of his concerns finally being addressed. He would be as happy as I am today.

Wozei, referring to a 1966 annual report on conditions in Karamoja, once remarked: “All of us would like to see Karamoja developed as fast as possible so as to catch up with the rest of Uganda, but the major problem is how to do it” (Wozei, 1977, as cited in Mirzeler & Young, 2000).

For those of us who have worked in Karamoja for nearly a decade, we have developed strategies and engaged policy makers, yet the region still faces critical challenges. This is why today I thank President Museveni for appointing Hon. Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo as the new Principal Judge.

The appointment of Lady Justice Abodo, who hails from Karamoja, will help improve the image of the sub-region and challenge Benedicto Kabiito’s (2021) publication, which stated that Karamoja has continued to suffer from negative publicity since the dawn of British colonial rule.

Some might wonder why the Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition officer is thanking the President for appointing a Karimojong to a high-level judicial office. Let me explain: previous governments, from the colonialists onward, implemented policies and interventions that often incapacitated and constrained the people of Karamoja (Muhereza, 2018; Mamdani, 1982).

For further evidence, Tabitha Naisiko’s (2024) publication, “Anthropological Critique and the Karamoja Question”, revealed that for many Ugandans, discussions about Karamoja often turned into a joke: “We shall not wait for Karamoja to develop.”

For this reason, at the very least, we must appreciate those who have taken steps to promote a positive image of Karamoja.
To Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo, thank you for challenging the outdated perception described by Mario Cisternino (1984), which portrayed the people of Karamoja as “unclothed, unschooled, and indolent” (an unfair description at the time).

Finally, as I thank President Museveni, I warmly extend my best wishes to Lady Justice Abodo.

Ayub Mukisa, PhD
Executive Director, Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC)
Email: ayubmukisa@gmail.com