Hundreds of households in Katakwi District are surviving on one meal a day as prolonged drought, repeated crop failures and hailstorms worsen food shortages, prompting calls for emergency government relief. The food crisis is affecting vulnerable households across the district’s 20 sub-counties, with some families reportedly relying on porridge as they struggle to cope with dwindling food stocks and rising food prices.
Residents are calling for immediate food assistance alongside long-term interventions, including solar-powered irrigation systems and the distribution of drought-resistant and fast-maturing crops such as sorghum, maize, green grams and cowpeas. They are also calling for demonstration farms at sub-county level to equip farmers with skills in modern and commercial agricultural practices.Jorem Paul Obelamo, a resident of Alengo in Ngariam Sub-county, said some households are struggling to secure even one meal a day.
James Stephen Engole, the head teacher of St Stephen Secondary School, said the food shortage has also begun affecting schools as the scarcity of food drives up prices. He described the situation as a serious challenge requiring a long-term government response.
Vice President Maj. Rtd. Jessica Rose Alupo and the female Member of Parliament for Katakwi District have urged residents to preserve the little food they have harvested instead of selling it unnecessarily. Alupo advised households to sell only part of their harvest and keep the remainder for consumption as they await government intervention.
Alupo also urged residents to protect the environment as a way of improving resilience to unpredictable weather patterns. She cautioned against massive tree cutting and degradation of wetlands, which she said contribute to environmental degradation and affect rainfall patterns, and encouraged residents to embrace environmentally friendly practices such as afforestation.
Authorities have also urged residents not to waste or unnecessarily sell the little food harvested during the first harvest as the district faces continued food insecurity. Residents say, however, that emergency food relief should be accompanied by sustainable measures such as irrigation, improved seeds and farmer training to reduce Katakwi’s vulnerability to drought and recurring crop failure-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
