KARAMOJA GETS 9 MILLION KILOS OF RELIEF FOOD

By Glen Jonah Muwayira

On Monday, July 20, 2026, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon.Robinah Nabbanja flagged off a convoy of trucks carrying food relief to Karamoja, following a directive from President Yoweri Museveni. The event took place at the National Enterprises Corporation (NEC) headquarters in Bugolobi, Kampala. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Esther Anyakun; the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Sam Engola; and the Managing Director of NEC, Lt. Gen. James Mugira, among other officials.

The food distribution is a response to a prolonged dry spell that has destroyed crops and left thousands facing hunger across the region. Under the relief program, the government will deliver more than 9.4 million kilograms of food to 313,987 households across 480 parishes in the nine Karamoja districts. Each household will receive a 20-kilogram bag of posho and a 10-kilogram bag of beans. To bring aid closer to the population and spare residents long walks, the supplies will be delivered directly to the parish level.

Speaking at the event, Rt. Hon. Nabbanja explained that the government saved public funds by buying food directly from state-owned entities, NEC and Uganda Prisons, after private traders offered inflated prices. She noted that private suppliers were asking UGX 4,500 per kilogram for beans and UGX 3,320 per kilogram for posho. Following the President’s advice, the government instead bought posho at UGX 2,800 per kilogram and beans at UGX 4,000 per kilogram from the state agencies.

The Prime Minister issued a strong warning to local leaders and distribution teams against stealing or misdirecting relief food. She stated that there would be zero tolerance for diversion or misuse, emphasizing that anyone caught stealing food intended for vulnerable households would face the full force of the law.

Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Esther Anyakun, confirmed she would travel with the convoy to oversee the distribution process. She explained that relief efforts will prioritize the hardest-hit districts of Kaabong, Kotido, and Moroto before extending to the rest of the region.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Sam Engola, assured the public that food is moving smoothly, noting that 25,000 kilograms of posho have already arrived from Uganda Prisons. He added that the government plans to build valley dams and modern grain storage silos in Karamoja to store food reserves and manage future dry spells. Hon. Anyakun explained that the long-term goal is to help Karamoja build farming resilience so the region can gradually stop relying on emergency government aid.