Dr.Ayub Mukisa: Why We Are Questioning Development Approaches in Karamoja

What the report says

Dr. Ayub Mukisa, who leads the Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC), uses a Watchdog Uganda opinion piece to question whether current development strategies in Karamoja are addressing the region’s long-running poverty and service-delivery problems. The article, published on 15 September 2026, argues that large flows of public and donor funding have gone into the area through government, NGOs and civil society groups, yet development indicators remain weak.

Mukisa says the concern is less about the existence of aid than about the methods used to plan and deliver it. He points to what he describes as overreliance on workshops, allowances, trainings and consultants, which he says may have limited practical value. He frames this as a broader challenge of development methodology, not simply a lack of money.

To support the argument, the piece cites background figures from earlier reports and official sources, including high poverty rates in Karamoja compared with national averages. It references an OCHA-cited estimate from 2008, a Uganda Bureau of Statistics figure from May 2025, and an Oxfam report released in 2026, all used to illustrate that poverty remains severe in the region.

The commentary matters because Karamoja has long been one of Uganda’s most disadvantaged subregions, making it a recurring focus for development agencies and government programs. While the article is opinion-based, it reflects a continuing debate over whether external interventions are being designed in ways that match local realities.