Moroto, Uganda: Dr. Johnson Ngorok, a seasoned development practitioner and public health expert, has officially declared his bid for the position of NRM National Vice Chairperson for the Karamoja Sub-Region, unveiling a bold five-year action plan to reverse growing political opposition, tackle poverty, and drive industrial transformation across the region.
Ngorok, who boasts over 35 years of experience in government and NGO leadership, including with World Vision and Sightsavers, says the time is ripe for “competent and dedicated leadership” to consolidate the socio-political gains Karamoja has achieved under the NRM.
“After 40 years in power, this is the legacy that President Museveni and the NRM should be remembered for in Karamoja,” Dr. Ngorok declared.
A key focus of Dr. Ngorok’s manifesto is stemming the growing inroads of opposition parties in Karamoja. He cited the drop in President Museveni’s support in the region—from 96% in Nakapiripirit in 2001 to an average of 89% in 2021—as a worrying trend.
“In the most recent youth leadership elections in Abim, 90% of elected youth were NUP supporters. That’s unprecedented,” Ngorok observed.
To reclaim political dominance, he pledges to strengthen grassroots structures and rebuild party cohesion, engage pastoralist communities through targeted voter education all with the aim of reviving NRM’s ideological clarity and monitor opposition penetration, as well as institutionalizing mentorship and succession planning within the party
Tackling Poverty: From Livestock Restocking to Youth Skilling
Ngorok decried Karamoja’s persistent poverty levels—standing at 74% compared to the national average of 16%—despite decades of government investment. “Cattle herds per household have dropped drastically, from 5.6 in 1964 to 1.3 today. This is a crisis,” he stated.
Among his proposed interventions is the need to accelerate implementation of the 10-Year Karamoja Regional Development Plan (KRDP), and target restocking of cattle, goats, and poultry among the poorest households
Ngorok also plans to scale up youth skilling through technical and vocational programs, and monitor performance of key government initiatives such as PDM, Emyooga, YLP, and WEF.
Industrialisation and ‘ATM’ Wealth Model: Agriculture, Tourism, Minerals
Ngorok’s vision of Karamoja’s transformation is anchored on what he calls the “ATM model”—leveraging Agriculture, Tourism, and Minerals for wealth creation.
He aims to operationalize Moroto Industrial Park and complete the Clinker and Cement factories in Nadunget and Rupa, promote livestock, crops, and honey value chains through agro-industrial investments, establish cultural tourism centres in Moroto and Kaabong, and enforce responsible mineral exploitation in line with the Mining Act, ensuring locals benefit
Flagship Projects: Building the Foundations for Lasting Change
Dr. Ngorok in his multi-paged manifesto promises to aggressively lobby for flagship developments under the KRDP, including the construction of a man-made lake in Napak for irrigation and tourism, pushing for the tarmacking of Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-Karenga highway and pgrading Kaabong Hospital to referral status
He also aims to push to for the establishment of another (second) skimming hub in the region, whilst fast-tracking Moroto City and Moroto University infrastructure
Ngorok also proposes a Public-Private Partnership model to co-invest in industrialization projects, with 50% capital injection from the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) and the rest mobilized from local entrepreneurs.
“Development must touch the ordinary Karamojong. We need interventions that uplift the majority, not the elite few,” Ngorok emphasized.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
