By KT Reporter
District has lost more than 1,000 livestock due to water and pasture shortages following a four-month dry spell from November 2024 to March 24, 2025. With a population of 165,553, Katakwi is predominantly rural (95.8%), with only 4.2% living in urban areas. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the district’s primary economic activities.
According to the National Livestock Census 2021, the eastern and western regions of Uganda had the highest cattle population, estimated at 3.3 million (23%). A recent joint survey conducted in affected areas revealed the dire conditions faced by livestock farmers.
Geoffrey Omolo, the Katakwi District LC V Chairperson, confirmed that approximately 1,000 animals have died due to a lack of water and pasture. He stated that on average, three livestock animals die daily, with each sub-county losing between five and ten animals.
However, Omolo remains optimistic that desilting the valley dam under the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project (UCSATP), funded by the World Bank, will help mitigate the crisis by providing a sustainable water source for livestock.
Samuel Elvis Ojula, the LC3 Chairperson of Katakwi Sub-County, described the water crisis as a major challenge. He noted that the Awaya Valley Dam in Apolin, which silted up in 1964 and was later vandalized, left the community with only one valley tank in Osudam.
This tank serves more than 15,000 livestock farmers across 17 villages. Ojula reported that his sub-county lost 121 animals during the four-month drought, which was longer than the usual two-month dry spell.
On Sunday, March 23, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), which is implementing the UCSATP with World Bank funding, conducted a field survey in Apolin Village and Ocorimongin Dam in Katakwi Sub-County.
The survey highlighted the harsh conditions faced by livestock farmers, with over 1,000 animals reported dead due to water and pasture shortages. In response to the crisis, the World Bank and MAAIF have launched a six-year, $354 million Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project.
This initiative aims to promote climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices to enhance productivity, household incomes, and resilience to climate change. The project is expected to directly benefit 760,000 households (approximately 3.9 million people) and indirectly support an additional 1.9 million households (9.5 million people).
However, residents Sam Okwi, Rose Amuda, and Robert Ibwala are calling for immediate support in dam construction. They also expressed frustration over land encroachment by area resident Ignatius Apuda Loyola, who they claim has taken over wetland areas, limiting grazing space for livestock farmers. Farmers are forced to walk 5 to 10 kilometers across Angobo Wetland and Ongole Dam in Usuk in search of water and pasture.
Moses Anguria, Senior Social Development Officer at UCSATP, stated that the project team has visited Awaya Dam in Apolin to assess the situation. Engineers will soon conduct a feasibility study and prepare Bills of Quantities (BOQs) as part of the approval process.
He revealed that the project will involve desilting 300 valley dams and establishing animal holding areas for fattening and disease management in 69 districts across Uganda-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
