By KT Reporter
Parents and school administrators across Karamoja are facing growing uncertainty following the World Food Programme’s (WFP) decision to phase out support for school feeding programmes, effective January 1, 2026.
The withdrawal will affect about 30 secondary schools and six tertiary institutions, leaving thousands of learners vulnerable in a region where food insecurity remains a daily reality.
At Moroto High School, one of the institutions directly impacted, the school board has proposed a one-hundred-thousand-shilling increase in school fees to cover feeding costs.
The proposal has sparked anxiety and debate among parents, many of whom say they are already struggling to meet basic household and education costs.
Joseph Kodet, a parent from Rupa Sub-county in Moroto District, says the decision came as a shock.
“We were never prepared for this crisis,” Kodet said, explaining that he has three children at the school. The proposed increment means he would need an additional three hundred thousand dollars every term just to cater for feeding.
He faulted WFP for what he described as poor communication ahead of the withdrawal. “I’m hurt by the decision of WFP to withdraw like that. Although they did it in the last term, they could have informed us earlier, maybe in the first term, so that the two terms would enable us to prepare and manage the crisis,” Kodet said.
Another parent, John Olupot from Labour Line Ward in Moroto Municipality, believes the withdrawal should serve as a lesson for both schools and parents. He recalled that WFP support had been steadily reducing over the years.
In our days, they supplied yellow posho, beans, rice, and cooking oil. Later, it changed to maize grains. That was already a sign that things were getting tougher, but we never thought much about it,” Olupot said.
Olupot urged parents to accept the challenge and prioritise keeping their children in school, warning that over-reliance on external partners leaves institutions exposed to sudden shocks.
Local leaders say the impact of the WFP’s withdrawal goes beyond school meals. Joseph Otita, the LCIII Chairperson of Rupa Sub-county, noted that Moroto High School has long been regarded as an affordable option for many families in the region.
Otita said WFP’s contribution helped parents raise small amounts of money for other school needs while still accessing quality education. “Schools are charging high fees because of the expenses they incur. Even when parents take children to schools outside Moroto, they still pay transport and higher pocket money,” Otita observed.
He urged parents to support the school financially, warning that the problem is unavoidable if learners are to remain in class. “It would be shameful for a school that has put Karamoja on the map to collapse simply because food support has ended,” Otita said.
He added that the issue of school fees should be resolved before learners report for the 2026 academic year to allow parents time to prepare and avoid disruptions.
School administrators say they have already been formally notified of the withdrawal. Eric Sabila, the Head Teacher of Moroto High School, confirmed that WFP advised the school to find alternative ways of feeding learners. Sabila said WFP had supported the school for decades, providing beans, cooking oil, and maize grain for breakfast and lunch.
“Our budget only catered for supper and weekends. That support made education affordable for many parents,” he said. He warned that the withdrawal would negatively affect education but described it as a wake-up call for schools to become more self-reliant. “This could be an indirect message for us to learn how to sustain shocks independently, instead of relying so much on partners,” Sabila said.
The school’s Board of Governors and Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) say they are exploring both short-term and long-term solutions.
Zeah Wepukhulu, the Vice Chairperson of the Board, said the one-hundred-thousand-shilling fee increment is a temporary measure. “This money will help us buy food as we look for better alternatives,” Wepukhulu said.
She revealed that the school is considering hiring land to grow its own food and plans to approach WFP to explore non-food support, such as tractors and planting materials.
Wepukhulu added that the school is also exploring income-generating projects, including setting up a grinding mill, to stabilise its finances and reduce dependence on external aid.
As Karamoja’s schools adjust to a future without WFP’s safety net, parents, educators, and local leaders agree that urgent collaboration is needed. Without timely solutions, the cost of the transition risks being borne by learners themselves, through hunger, absenteeism, and possible school dropouts.
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