Over 580 people have reportedly lost their lives to starvation in Karamoja
Cabinet has approved a plan to spend Shs135bn in the purchase of food to feed people from Karamoja sub-region in the next three months.
This was revealed by the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja following reports that over 580 people from Karamoja sub-region have lost their lives due to starvation.
“Cabinet sitting yesterday noted the concerns of our people in Karamoja and came up with the following proposals. That the Ministry of Finance comes up with a budget of Shs135Bn to provide food for our brothers and sisters in Karamoja for at least 3months including seedlings for them to plant so that they can survive,”
Nabbanja said.
The Premier’s revelation followed a concern raised by Faith Nakut (DWR Napak) who said that by 8th July 2022, recorded deaths had hit 580 and the situation is being worsened by the Ministers in Charge of Karamoja Affairs who have accused the area politicians of exaggerating the food crisis in Karamoja by resorting to politicking over the matter.
“Unfortunately in our movement throughout our region in Karamoja, we found out our people were starving and literally dying. I visited some villages where I found a burial of three who had all died to starvation. As last week, documented deaths in Napak that had been documented were 46, Kaboong 189, Moroto 45 and Kotido 300,” said Nakut.
She added that although the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness distributed food on 7th June, the quantity supplied weren’t reasonable as each family that had been earmarked as vulnerable received 1Kg of beans and 3Kgs of posho which quantities can only be consumed in one or two meals.
Nakut added, “Ask office of Prime Minister to find food so that Ugandans’ lives are saved. We believe that Uganda can manage to feed starving Ugandans, there are issues of procedures all that can be handled as food is being transported any delay means that lives are lost.”
Peter Mugema (Iganga Municipality) said that many of the Karamojongs who reside in Iganga and had gone back to protect their cattle were forced to return to Iganga due to starvation and even those camped in Iganga are facing starvation.
“We are housing many karamojongs in fact the majority of them, they constitute 30% of my voters. As we talk now, the majority of them who had gone back to check on their cows are dying of starvation. Some are even dying in Iganga, I have utilized all my money yet Government is doing nothing yet it is the same government that ate their cows. Because you ate their cows, they no longer have a living,” said Mugema.
Nabbanja also claimed that 200 metric tonnes of food had left for Karamoja in order to avoid any more future deaths in the region as a result of starvation.
The Premier also denied claims that Government stole cattle from Karamoja as alleged by Mugema replying, “The NRM Government has never taken any head of cattle from Karamoja. If anything, it is the government of Uganda our people from losing their cattle.”
In March 2022, MPs from Karamoja region accused soldiers from Uganda People Defence Forces UPDF of masterminding the theft of cattle to a tune of 17,706 heads of cattle that went missing since the Army camped in the region after cases of insecurity arising from cattle rustling among the different groups in the region.
