By KT Reporter
Farmers in Kapchorwa Municipality are crying out for urgent government intervention following delays in relief assistance nearly two months after hailstorms destroyed vast acres of farmland.
The most affected areas are Kween and Kwoti Wards in East Division, where heavy hailstorms in August 2025 wiped out entire fields of maize, beans, Irish potatoes, and onions.
Alfred Chepjur, the LCII Chairperson of Kween Ward, told Uganda Radio Network that a team from the Kapchorwa District Disaster Management Committee visited the area shortly after the incident for assessment, but has since gone silent.
“The team came here and promised to respond within a week. It’s now close to two months, and nothing has been done. Our farmers are suffering,” Chepjur said. He added that many affected families are now grappling with severe food shortages, with most unable to replant due to a lack of seeds and farming inputs.
Daniel Siwa, a farmer from Kween Cell, says he lost his entire maize plantation and is uncertain how he will recover. He recalls that when the disaster assessment team visited, many farmers were optimistic that help would come soon.
However, as weeks have turned into months with no response, that optimism has given way to despair. Siwa says their situation is worsening and appeals to the government to remember and support them before it is too late.
Another affected farmer, Musobo Satya David, explained that the hailstorm left many households in dire poverty, stripping families of their main source of income and food. He said most farmers in the area rely entirely on their harvests to sustain their families, and without crops, life has become unbearable.
Satya appealed for immediate support to help farmers recover, emphasising that they are not seeking handouts but assistance to rebuild their livelihoods and stand on their own again.
Women and children are bearing the heaviest burden of the crisis, according to Grace Chesang, a resident of Kwoti Ward. She said most families have run out of food, and the delay in relief assistance has deepened their suffering.
Chesang described the situation as desperate, noting that many children now go to bed hungry while parents struggle to find even the basics for survival. She added that the community feels abandoned, as earlier promises of government support have not materialised.
Several farmers, including Francis Chepkurui, said they have written multiple letters to municipal and district authorities seeking updates on the relief process, but none have been acknowledged.
“We are beginning to think we were just used for photo opportunities during the assessment because no one has come back to us,” Chepkurui said.
Many of the destroyed crops had been financed through loans accessed under government programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM). With their farms wiped out, farmers say they are now unable to repay the loans.
Agnes Chebet, who lost onion crops worth an estimated 6 million Shillings, said she is deeply worried about her debt burden.
“I request that loan institutions visit the affected farmers, assess the situation, and consider extending repayment periods or reducing interest rates,” she appealed. Municipal agricultural extension officer Antony Cheptegei confirmed that his office registered the affected farmers and submitted a comprehensive report to the District Disaster Management Committee.
When contacted for comment, Martin Sekajja, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kapchorwa, acknowledged the delays and assured farmers that efforts are underway to mobilise assistance.
“We are following up with the relevant departments to ensure that affected communities receive support before the next planting season,” Sakajja said. Farmers in the affected areas are now calling for immediate government intervention to provide food relief, seeds, and recovery support to help them rebuild their livelihoods before the next planting cycle begins.
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