President Yoweri Museveni has unveiled a three-phase food stabilisation strategy for Karamoja aimed at helping households withstand recurrent droughts, improve food security and progressively reduce dependence on emergency food relief.
The strategy will provide communities with crop varieties and livestock suited to Karamoja’s harsh climatic conditions through short-, medium- and long-term interventions, President Museveni said yesterday while officiating at the 11th Karamoja Cultural Event at Naitakwae Grounds in Moroto District.
The week-long event, organised by the Karamoja Cultural Association, runs from September 6 to 12 under the theme, “Unity in Culture, Strength in Peace, Prosperity Through Tourism and Natural Resources.”
President Museveni said the strategy follows the devastating effects of climate change on agriculture and food security in the region, which have repeatedly forced the government to provide emergency food relief.
He said the government is currently distributing food relief worth about Shs45 billion to drought-affected areas, but Cabinet had resolved to adopt a more sustainable approach to food security rather than repeatedly responding to crises.
The President tasked the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, John Baptist Lokii, to elaborate on the Cabinet decision and explain how the three-phase strategy will be implemented.
Under the immediate phase, the government will promote crops that can mature quickly and provide food within the short and unpredictable growing seasons. President Museveni recommended sorghum, green gram and white peas, while cautioning against excessive reliance on maize because of its relatively long maturity period and the region’s dry conditions.
He also encouraged households to embrace goat rearing and beekeeping as alternative sources of food and income, saying goats can survive on shrubs and vegetation commonly found in Karamoja. Cassava and bananas, he added, can be grown in wetter parts of the region.
Shift to commercial farming
President Museveni said the medium- and long-term phases would gradually move households from subsistence farming and food insecurity to modern commercial agriculture, with irrigation at the centre of the transformation.
He called for the construction of large-scale water infrastructure, including dams, to support irrigation and reduce reliance on unpredictable rainfall.
“Therefore, Karamoja is a fertile area, but it’s because of water body encroachment. Therefore, we are going to put up big projects to support irrigation in Karamoja, like big dams,” he said.
The President also warned against wetland encroachment, saying wetlands should be protected as part of the country’s water systems instead of being converted into farmland.
Beyond food production, President Museveni called on the people of Karamoja to conduct a cultural audit to identify practices that should be preserved and those that hinder social and economic development.
He commended the Karamojong for positive cultural practices that have contributed to the community’s resilience, including what he described as the region’s relatively low HIV prevalence.
However, he urged the community to reconsider practices that constrain sustainable household income, citing nomadism among those that require re-examination.
“I think you should do a cultural audit. There are some things in your culture which are good and others which are not good. Keep the good ones and abandon the bad ones,” he said.
Peace as foundation for development
President Museveni also attributed Karamoja’s improving development prospects to the restoration of peace following the government’s disarmament programme.
He said the government had recovered about 41,000 illegal guns from the region, contributing to a reduction in insecurity and cattle raids.
He particularly commended women for their role in the initial disarmament exercise, saying their participation helped the government recover firearms.
The President also praised individuals who helped expose commercial networks behind cattle raiding and those who supported former Karacunas to abandon violence and embrace productive livelihoods.
He said the transformation of former warriors demonstrated that people previously involved in violence can change when given opportunities to earn a living peacefully.
President Museveni further directed that Fr Raphael Lobere be awarded a medal for his contribution to restoring peace in the Karamoja sub-region.
Leaders hail progress
Vice President Jessica Alupo thanked the people of Karamoja for supporting the NRM in the recently concluded elections, saying the restoration of peace had opened up opportunities for development.
NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong congratulated the people of Karamoja for supporting the NRM government and urged them to use their rich cultural heritage as an asset in tackling household poverty.
Mr Lokii welcomed the President’s focus on food stabilisation, saying the strategy would complement existing government wealth-creation programmes such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga.
He said Karamoja had made significant progress in peace and socioeconomic transformation, but appealed to President Museveni to consider delaying recovery of PDM funds from beneficiaries because of the prolonged drought.
“Let us allow Karamojongs to recover properly from this strong drought,” he said.
The 11th Karamoja Cultural Event has attracted an estimated 15,000 participants from the wider Ateker cluster, including the Karamojong, Iteso, Ethur, Ik and Tepeth, as well as the Turkana and Pokot from Kenya, the Toposa from South Sudan and the Nyangatom from Ethiopia.
