Parliamentlast week unanimously passed a motion calling for an urgent government response to the worsening drought affecting Northern Uganda and several other parts of the country, warning that prolonged dry conditions are pushing communities into hunger, destroying livelihoods and exposing weaknesses in Uganda’s disaster preparedness systems.
The motion, moved by Kilak North County MP Anthony Akol during Thursday’s plenary sitting, urges the government to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to affected households while investing in long-term measures to strengthen the country’s resilience to climate-related disasters.
Among its key recommendations, the motion calls for the expedited distribution of relief food, seeds and planting materials ahead of the next planting season, increased investment in climate early warning systems, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, enhanced agricultural mechanisation, and the operationalisation of disaster financing under the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF IV).
“Our prayer is that the government expedites the delivery of food items to support drought-affected households, as well as seedlings and planting materials for immediate planting in the forthcoming season,” Akol told Parliament.
The legislator also appealed for the immediate release and utilisation of the USD 38 million allocated under the Disaster Risk Financing Facility of NUSAF IV to support drought response efforts in the West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Karamoja, Teso, Bukedi, Bunyoro and Elgon sub-regions.
Beyond emergency relief, Akol urged the government to invest in solar-powered irrigation systems to reduce dependence on rainfall and establish an agricultural mechanisation support programme aimed at improving productivity and strengthening national food security.
“The problem has affected nearly the entire country, especially communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture. People have started dying of acute hunger, including children, the elderly and pregnant mothers. It is important that the country takes action now,” he said.
The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, described the proposal as a “popular motion,” noting the broad consensus among legislators before opening the floor for debate. The motion subsequently received unanimous support from both government and opposition MPs.
Tochi County MP Peter Okot attributed the crisis to the growing effects of climate change, saying many farmers had invested heavily in cultivation only for prolonged dry spells to wipe out their expected harvests.
Omoro County MP Andrew Ojok argued that repeated emergency food relief has failed to address the underlying vulnerability of farmers. He proposed amending the motion to include crop insurance, arguing that protecting farmers against climate-related losses would offer a more sustainable solution than recurring emergency food aid.
Chekwii County MP Simon Peter Longoli painted a grim picture of conditions in Karamoja, revealing that the region has received virtually no rainfall since April. He told Parliament that approximately 1.15 million acres of crops had been destroyed and that at least 20 people had reportedly died from hunger-related causes, although the government has officially confirmed 16 deaths.
While acknowledging the government’s emergency relief allocations and the rehabilitation of water reservoirs, Longoli argued that the intervention falls far short of the scale of the humanitarian crisis.
He proposed further amendments requiring the government to sustain food relief for the six months leading to the next harvest, distribute drought-tolerant seed varieties through the Ministry of Agriculture, and provide targeted nutritional support to an estimated 120,000 malnourished children in Karamoja.
Attorney General Dr Sam Mayanja said the government had no legal objection to the motion. Subsequently, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja assured legislators that emergency interventions were already underway. She said the Cabinet had earlier in the week considered a paper on the worsening food crisis and that President Yoweri Museveni had directed the Office of the Prime Minister to coordinate emergency food distribution with support from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
According to Nabbanja, relief food has already been pre-positioned in Kigumba, Kiryandongo District, while the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) has been contracted to transport supplies to the worst-affected districts.
