Umanderu Village Awaits Government Attention

The atmosphere in Umanderu Village, Kimaam District, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, on August 10, 2025.

The village was established as a result of the administrative division of Mambum Lama Village in 2016. At its inception, Umanderu Village was led by Pinsen Gidu as its first village head.

However, early in his term, Pinsen became involved in a legal case, leading to his position being replaced by Bergita Monga as the Acting Village Head of Umanderu. Later, in 2024, the position was assumed by Martinus Pelipus Kada.

Less than a month after his inauguration, Martinus also became entangled in a legal case and is currently undergoing trial while being held at the Merauke Correctional Facility.

Umanderu Village possesses considerable economic potential. However, this potential has not been fully harnessed. The Merauke Regency Government and the South Papua Provincial Government are expected to provide attention and assistance to this village.

Kampung Umanderu Perlu Perhatian Pemerintah Kabupaten Merauke

Suasana Kampung Umanderu, Distrik Kimaam, Kabupaten Merauke, Provinsi Papua Selatan pada 10 Agustus 2025.

Kampung merupakan kampung hasil pemekaran dari Kampung Mambum Lama pada 2016. Saat pertama berdiri, Kampung Umanderu dipimpin oleh Pinsen Gidu selaku kepala kampung pertama di sana.

Namun, pada awal masa jabatannya, Pinsen terkena kasus hukum sehingga jabatannya digantikan oleh Bergita Monga selaku Plt Kepala Kampung Umanderu. Selanjutnya, pada 2024, jabatan Kepala Kampung Umanderu dipegang oleh Martinus Pelipus Kada. 

Akan tetapi, kurang dari satu bulan setelah dilantik, Martinus juga terkena kasus hukum dan saat ini sedang menjalani proses persidangan serta ditahan di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Merauke. 

Kampung Umanderu memiliki potensi ekonomi yang cukup besar. Namun, potensi tersebut kurang tergarap maksimal. Pemerintah Kabupaten Merauke dan Provinsi Papua Selatan diharapkan untuk memberi perhatian dan pendampingan terhadap kampung ini.