The MP for Bokora East in Napak district, Peterkhen Lochap, has called on the government to increase funding for rural roads, improve access to water and strengthen health services to support communities in Karamoja.
Lochap said the Shs1 billion allocated for road works and maintenance in his constituency was inadequate, given the poor road network connecting rural communities and trading centres.
In an interview with Bbeg Media, Lochap said Bokora East needed better roads to connect its five rural sub-counties and two town councils, as well as improve links with neighbouring districts.
He urged the Ministry of Finance to increase funding for road maintenance, saying poor transport infrastructure limits access to markets, health facilities and other essential services.
Lochap said his long-term vision was to transform Bokora East into a prosperous constituency where residents could access reliable food supplies, permanent water sources and better healthcare.
He said he wanted health centre IIIs in the area to have qualified doctors and for households to move from subsistence farming, in which families mainly grow food for their own consumption, to commercial agriculture that produces surplus food for sale and export.
Water shortages remain a major concern in Karamoja, where many communities depend on livestock and crop farming for their livelihoods. Prolonged drought has worsened the pressure on households and pastoral communities.
Lochap called on residents to invest in water harvesting to provide water for livestock and domestic use during dry periods.
He also stressed the need to protect rangelands, which support livestock grazing and are central to the livelihoods of Karamoja’s agro-pastoral communities.
The MP commended Pastor Robert Kayanja of Miracle Centre Ministries for supporting agricultural projects in the area, saying such initiatives could help improve food security and strengthen household livelihoods.
Lochap, who serves on Parliament’s committee responsible for climate change, also raised concern about deforestation driven by the demand for charcoal.
He proposed a tree-replacement programme under which every tree cut down would be replaced by another, arguing that restoring tree cover was important for protecting the environment and reducing the effects of environmental degradation.
Lochap also called for improvements in Uganda’s diplomatic missions abroad, saying logistical and infrastructure challenges needed to be addressed to improve the country’s image and service delivery.
He said Uganda’s bilateral relationships with other countries had supported cooperation in trade, security, education and labour migration.
However, he expressed concern that some destination countries had not done enough to protect Ugandan workers, particularly those employed in Arab countries.
Reflecting on his political career, Lochap said his experience in local government had prepared him for Parliament.
He previously served in several district leadership roles, including as a resident district commissioner in Bukwo, Amudat, Jinja, Soroti, Nakapiripirit and Moroto.
A former Grade Two teacher, Lochap holds a degree in Public Relations and Diplomacy from Cavendish University.
He attributed the relative stability in Karamoja to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, particularly its disarmament programme, which he said had helped reduce cattle rustling and improve security among communities.
