Climate Change Fueling Famine In Karamoja, Not Laziness – MP

The Amuria district Member of Parliament (MP) Susan Amero believes that the recurring famine in Karamoja sub region is caused by climate change effects. She also urged government to allocate the country’s resources to the right causes like water for production.  

“It is not that the Karamojongs are lazy or they are not planting crops. We are strongly faced with the issue of Climate Change,” Amero said during a parliament plenary were the issue of famine in Karamoja was being discussed.

Karamoja is a semi-arid sub region that rarely receives rainfall most parts of the year. This has made agriculture difficult. Local leaders have consistently asked government to introduce irrigation farming but to no avail.

“We have been discussing issues of water for production but we see government investing a lot of money in things that do not benefit the people,” Amero noted.  

Pictures of people in Karamoja sub region malnourished and reportedly dying of hunger caused by a griming famine did rounds on social media riling off many Ugandans who called on government to take action.

And today, during the plenary session in parliament, the Prime Minister (PM) Robinah Nabbanja revealed that a cabinet decision reached on Monday sitting will see the finance ministry provide Shs135bn to address the famine situation in Karamoja.  

The money, Nabbanja said, will be for provision of food, and seeds and seedlings so that people can plant their own food. She also said that cabinet directed the PM's office to provide food and, according to Nabbanja, over 200 Metric tonnes have been sent to Karamoja.

Iganga Municipality MP, Mugema Peter, appealed to the government to prioritize food insecurity in the country especially in the Karamoja Region. He revealed that there people from the Karamoja region who live in Iganga who have been equally affected.

Moroto Municipality MP, Hon Adome Francis Lorika, asked government to engage and listen to the MPs from the Karamoja Region so that they can come up with  sustainable solutions to the food insecurity affecting the region.

Napak Woman MP, Faith Nakut, that thousands of people are in dire need of food and will die if no action is not done. She says that issues of meetings and procedures should be put aside but rather send food to the starving communities.