Political marginalisation and persistent poverty in Karamoja, North Eastern Uganda

Researchers, policymakers, and others have often used ecological factors to explain the persistent poverty in Karamoja sub region of Uganda. Through a qualitative methodology, this paper reveals how political marginalization plays a key role in perpetuating poverty in the region as explained by a range of theories such as marginalisation, racial (ethnic discrim-ination), modernization, dependency, and capability approach. The study draws attention to the politics of resource allocation, political representation, and engagement of the local people to explain how political marginalization in Karamoja occurs and focus is put on the bias government policy towards pastoralism as a determinant of resource allocation. Whilst lack of political representation at top government levels is associated with poverty, the local leaders also have a role to play amidst national political agendas. It assesses if the local people have sufficient voice in the poverty alleviation and development keeping in mind elites capture and hints on whether Karamoja’s economic po-tentials such as availability of minerals (gold and limestone) and tourism (Kidepo national game park and other game reserves) have produced tangible development in the region. Persistent insecurity is a key factor that contributes to Karamoja’s persistent poverty. The local people are too exposed to external raids from (Turkana of Kenya and Toposa of South Sudan). The government security forces at border points are inadequate because they are deployed according to the priority demands to serve at the AMISOM (Somalia), Uganda’s missions in DRC, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The LDUs who are charged with responsibilities to protect people and their property are untrustworthy. This results in the rearmament of communities. Other internal causes of insecurity such as cultural practices of raiding to pay dowry or pride and the role of elites/leaders/businessmen are discussed. The paper investigates the challenges faced by the people of Karamoja in poverty alle-viation and development and it analyses failures from government side, international NGOs, CSOs, role of elites and the local community. The paper concludes that the persistent poverty in Karamoja is as a result of political marginalisation in terms of limited resource allocation from central government, lack of ap-pointment of people from Karamoja in top government positions vis-à-vis ineffective rep-resentation from local leaders and that the local people are rarely engaged in poverty allevia-tion and development programs leading to their failures. Importantly, the study asserts that the persistent insecurity is to a larger extent a result of government’s inaction to provide a long-lasting solution. After investigating the challenges in poverty alleviation and develop-ment, the paper posits that it is not only the state which has failed Karamoja but also the international NGOs that made the local population develop unprecedented dependency As a way forward, the study urges government and development partners to drop the anti-pastoral policy: The government to increase resource allocation to the region to influ-ence development by activating capabilities of the region, extend appointment in key and top government positions to the Karamojong as an empowerment tool that will have a trickle-down effect and provide a long lasting security in the region. On the other hand, the NGOs should discourage dependency through promoting self-reliance initiatives in the communi-ties.