By Cuthbert Otim
SOROTI
Displaced Karamojong have built temporary shelters in Soroti City in what residents are now equating to an Internally Displaced Camp (IDP)
The camp located behind Blue Land Pork Joint in the famous Pamba, an outskirt of Soroti city has over 80 families.
These families live in miserable conditions with chances of having even a single meal a day being very minimal.
When this reporter visited the Camp on Sunday, 21st February 2021, he found that the families were living in very dire conditions; There is a skin disease that has affected nearly everyone in the Camp, there are no intentions of following the Ministry of Health SOPs to minimize the spread of Covid-19.
In fact when asked about wearing of face masks, the Karamojong told this reporter that they cannot contract Covid-19 because they sniff tobacco.
The lack of livelihood opportunities and the threat of violence are the main reasons why these Karimojong have found themselves in Soroti City.
The Bokora especially have reportedly suffered the greatest losses, as other sections that had retained their arms (e.g. the Matheniko), continuously raid them with impunity
Esther Sagal, a young Karimojong woman from Napak told this website ‘that I moved to Teso a few months after my closest relatives had been killed by raiders.’
Now the improvised families rely for their survival on begging from the drinking bars of Pamba, one of the famous drinking suburbs of Soroti city.
Karim Joseph, the leader of the Karimojong community camped in Pamba ward of Soroti city west division explained that they are facing many challenges ranging from lack of food and poor shelter erected using wrapped nylon papers (Kaveera).
Karim further explained that sometimes the Iteso harass them that they stole their cows and also killed their relatives making their life even more miserable.
Losupmeri, 45 from Lokopo Sub County in Napak said they have reached a point where they think they should just return to Napak and die from there other than suffering from a foreign land.
These families are now calling on government through its Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and other development partners to consider coming to their rescue.
