Moses Dalili, the Karenga Chief Administrative Officer, says the construction will go on as planned until a court order is issued stopping the works. He says Karenga district was created by the parliament and the district was cleared to establish headquarters within the contested area.
Karenga District
authorities have defied the directive by National Environment Authority-NEMA
halting the ongoing construction of the district headquarters over failure to
comply with the Environment Act and Wildlife Act.
Construction of
Karenga district headquarters valued at Shillings 700 million started late last
year at Kidepo Parish in Nakidir village, some 12 km from Karenga town Council.
The contested land was reportedly donated by elders for the establishment of
the district headquarters.
However, on February
12, ,2020, the NEMA Executive Director, Dr. Tom Okurut directed Karenga
district authorities to immediately halt the construction of their headquarters
on grounds that the project was being implemented inside Karenga Community
Wildlife Area, a protected area.
NEMA also stopped the work on allegations that it didn’t there was no
Environment Impact Assessment report in accordance with the National Environment
Management Act, 2019. However, the district authorities have ignored the
directive and gone ahead with construction work.
Moses Dalili, the
Karenga Chief Administrative Officer, says the construction will go on as
planned until a court order is issued stopping the works. He says Karenga district
was created by the parliament and the district was cleared to establish
headquarters within the contested area.
“We are building the offices, the administration block and the council chambers
and our work will continue as usual unless court stops us,” Dalili said on
telephone.
Felix Mark Lochaale,
the Karenge District LC V Chairperson confirmed the dispute, saying the matter
is before court. Karenga Woman MP, Rose Lilly Akello, said they would discuss
the matter with NEMA officials on Thursday.
//Cue in: “It’s the community …
Cue out: …not seen it.”//
In 2018, Kidepo
National Game Park blocked residents of Karenga from undertaking any
developments on the contested district because it’s a protected area.
Walter Odokorwot, the
Kidepo Valley National Game Park Community Liaisons Officer couldn’t be reached
for comment as his known telephone numbers were off.
A religious leader who asked for anonymity told URN that Karenga district
leadership may have to find another location for the district headquarters
because of encroaching on a protected area.
Stanley Ebele
Freelancer