VP ALUPO INTERVENES WITH SHS9M MANNA BUT THE ‘GUESTS’ ARE STILL AT LARGE CONTINUING TO KILL!
The story of beneficiaries of the much hyped Parish Development Model (PDM) funds in the Eastern district of Katakwi is a shocking one!
After years of suffering sleepless nights arising from cattle rustlers, the same district is in utter shock after a new set of economic saboteurs in form of wolves have invaded the district.
So dangerous they are, that these ‘uninvited guests’ are doing whatever it takes to ensure that the PDM program is declared dead in the district after killing every animal they come across.
The most affected prey are the sheep and goats, which locals say have been eaten in plural form leaving them in crocodile tears!
The beasts are mostly operational in the villages of Moru B, Akide, Getom, Paliakol and Africa which they have fully encircled leaving wanainchi in fear for both their lives and the animals.
Josephine Akoluot of Akide village with tears almost rolling down her cheeks says she has lost three PDM sheep courtesy of these wolves which she says resemble dogs.
She explains that the wolf closely looks like a dog and has successfully terrorized homes in the parishes of Aboiboi and Abela killing the animals and then suck blood before abandoning the meat.
“We do not know where the wolf lives. It has terrorized us for three months now, you will be shocked to wake up to find your sheep and goat are dead. When you check the footmarks they resemble those of a dog” she says adding that she isn’t the only victim.
For example, a home behind Moru B, seven sheep were killed while at Asio, eight were left lifeless and seven goats in Aboiboi parish also never survived.
George Arwaitum is the LC1 boss of Moru B village Abela Parish. He named some of the households in his village that had been attacked by the wolves, saying his office has been stuck with cases of false allegation where some people’s dogs were accused of preying on the sheep.
Arwaitum says when some voters find a dog feasting on the dead meat, the owner of the sheep rushes to his office and accuse the owners of the dogs falsely.
“The wolf sucks the blood and eats the heart and kidneys” he says and named some of the victims of the wolf’s wrath as Ikilai Betty who lost seven goats, Aanyu (two sheep) and Apolot Grace seven sheep.
Another PDM Beneficiary Asege Winnie who lost 7 goats in Africa village, Abela Parish said 4 goats were bought using PDM money.
“I noticed it was a wolf after checking the footsteps. They looked like those of a dog and the lifeless goats lacked any blood because the wolf sucked it all” she said
Ojur Richard said 10 sheep had been killed in Ajesai village.
“Six of my goats have been killed by the wolf, it eats the heart, intestines and kidneys” he said and swore in the name of God that he bought the goats using PDM dimes.
Ojur adds that in the neighbouring village of Getom, five sheep were killed of which two were bought using PDM money.
We got it that Katakwi District Local Government in June 2023 at a function presided over by Vice President also Katakwi woman MP Maj. Jessica Alupo, disbursed PDM funds worth over Shs120m to beneficiaries in 109 parishes across 20 sub counties.
GENEROUS ALUPO INTERVENES
Like any leader wishing her voters to prosper, Alupo a few days ago raided the affected areas to ascertain the challenge in detail. She carried with her a small bag that contained paper money which she generously gave out to the affected households. In total, she coughed 9.88m in her capacity as the area legislator, leaving the locals with beaming faces and chanting her name and that of Museveni.
The retired but not tired at all, Major Alupo voiced a word to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) which is charged with protecting wildlife to come up with plans of compensating individuals who lost their livestock to wolves.
Alupo made the pronouncement while presenting her ‘kawogo’ to the 76 families who lost their animals in Africa village in Getom Sub County.
Each goat and sheep is costed at 130,000 and that in Getom Subcounty, 31 goats and 35 sheep were ‘executed’ by the wolves.
Meanwhile, Katakwi RDC, Maj. Godfrey Katamba noted that the wolves are still destroying animals from Moru Apesur, Africa, Abela in Getom sub county Katakwi district.
He says these beasts are so indisciplined that even when the VP visited the area, his office has registered over 10 animals been killed in two days.
The local leaders are now saying that their pockets and those of their people are too small to enable them pay for what they never benefited from since most of the animals were bought using PDM cash.
So funny it is, that when they reported to UWA, they were asked to locate where the wolves live.
“The wolf eats mostly sheep. I tried talking to UWA but they also asked me where the animal lives which I can’t locate. I appeal to the government to help those whose animals were bought using PDM funds to be compensated.” Said Eilor one of the local leaders in Getom.
He says so far, his office has registered over 200 goats and sheep lost by the community through this dangerous animal.
The LCV District councillor Getom, Pastor Jimmy Okello in an interview also confirmed that in most villages, the sheep and goats killed were those bought using PDM money.
“I appeal to UWA to come for their animals. These animals have given us a loss, it has disturbed us with lots of damage, it eats intestines leaving the meat” he said.
Meanwhile the Chairperson LCV Katakwi district Godfrey Omolo, urged UWA team to come up with possible ways of handling and removing their animals before things worsen.
in another development, James Okuare, UWA senior officer Pian-Upe game reserve, appealed to the community to be calm as UWA is taking action and filing reports towards lost sheep and goats for easy compensation
Okuare assured the population of total support and he asked them to get connected with UWA officials for easy compilation of the information.
“We have already printed the forms and the individuals who have lost their animals will fill it with the support of the Chairman LC1 and stamped with his stamp for easy verification” Okuare said.
He added that as a team from UWA, they have come with a trap that is going to be used for trapping these animals and asked the general public to keep their remaining animals and stay away from the trap.“As we’re talking, we have managed to deploy three officers from Pien Upe game reserve to camp here in Getom Sub County for a good time” Okuare adds.
