Acholi leaders search for answers as poverty rises
Rwot David Onen Acana II (holding a microphone), hands over an ox driven plough and an ox to former LRA fighters to support the fight against poverty in the Acholi Sub-region. PHOTO/JAMES OWICH
What you need to know:
The latest Uganda Bureau of Statistics report indicates that Acholi Sub-region has the fourth-highest number of people living in poverty (20.5 percent)
The rising level of poverty has left leaders in Acholi scratching their heads for solutions as households in the former war-ravaged sub-region struggle to make ends meet. The latest Uganda Bureau of Statistics report indicates that Acholi has the fourth-highest number of people living in poverty (20.5 percent), with the Karamoja sub-region topping the list at 74.2 percent. According to the 8th Uganda National Household Survey report released on May 18, Bukedi is ranked the sub-region with the second highest poverty rate at 29.9 percent, followed by Teso (29.8 percent) and West Nile (21.2 percent). The researchers interviewed 17,160 households across the country. The survey looked at access to education, health, poverty level and employment, among others. This is the second time Acholi Sub-region has performed poorly in the poverty ranking index report in less than four years.
Rwot David Onen Acana II, the Acholi paramount chief questions why poverty persists in the sub-region and yet there is abundant arable land that can support commercial farming. Although he is sceptical about how the researchers arrived at the percentage of poverty in Acholi Sub-region, Rwot Acana, says laziness and alcoholism are to blame for the poverty in the sub-region that is rising from the ashes of war. “Young people are not utilising the land adequately. I blame laziness. If our young people had engaged in commercial agriculture, we would not be seeing this absurd level of poverty in our land,” he says. Rwot Acana adds that the sub-region will be prosperous if its vast arable land is properly utilised. He adds: “Let our farmers start planting high-value crops such as coffee, cocoa and vanilla. These crops will help them drive out poverty since they fetch good prices in the world market.”
Over the last 25 years, following cessation of hostilities, the government of Uganda and development agencies, and foreign governments are estimated to have injected over Shs3 trillion to finance post-conflict recovery and development in northern Uganda. The projects include Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (Nusaf), Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Programme and Development Initiative for Northern Uganda. Nearly 80 percent of the funds were secured from the World Bank, European Union, and United States Agency for International Development in either grants or loans. The major objective of the programmes was to build the capacity of the poor households, especially in the former war-ravaged region, so that communities can overcome poverty and other related challenges.
However, the Acholi Sub-region remains among the five sub-regions were poverty is rife. In February 2023, while addressing residents of Gulu City at UPDF Playgrounds, the Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, revealed that poverty rates in Acholi Sub-region increased by 34.3 percent within a decade despite several interventions to address it. According to figures by the government, in the Financial Year 2012/2013, the poverty rate in the sub-region was at 45.5 percent. But it reduced to 33.4 percent in the Financial Year 2016/2017. However, it shot up to 67.7 percent in the Financial Year 2019/2020.
This indicates that between 2012 and 2020, poverty rate increased in Acholi Sub-region by 34.3 percent. Ms Nabbanja attributed the high levels of poverty in the sub-region to low production and lack of economic opportunities. Ms Nabbanja explained that as the region recovers from the effects of the decades-long Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, land wrangles have increased, hindering agriculture and other economic activities. This has forced the former internally displaced people to wallow in poverty.
Addressing structural challenges
Mr Emmanuel Orac, the Nwoya District chairperson, says to reduce poverty, the government must ensure that the Nusaf Phase IV enables household incomes to improve. The Lamwo District Woman Member of Parliament, Ms Nancy Achora Odonga, blames the high poverty rate on laziness on the youth and rampant sell of land. Ms Achora says locals are selling off their land at a giveaway price. Dr Kenneth Omona, the state minister for northern Uganda Rehabilitation, attributes the chronic poverty in Acholi Sub-region to years of turmoil and social injustices. Dr Omona says the LRA insurgency brought the sub-region’s economy to its knees. He adds that the only way out is to exploit the fertile land.
Laziness and alcoholism
Young people are not utilising the land adequately. I blame laziness. If our young people had engaged in commercial agriculture, we would not be seeing this absurd level of poverty in our land– Rwot David Onen Acana II
Poverty
According to the 8th Uganda National Household Survey report,20.5 percent of people in Acholi Sub-region live below the poverty line. That means they survive on less than $1 a day. $1 is equal to Shs3,600, depending on the exchange rate. Lango Sub-region, which is a neighbour to Acholi is performing better with 18.8 person. The population below $1 a day provides a uniform measure of absolute poverty for the developing world, using data from nationally representative household surveys.This indicator is used for monitoring progress towards the achievement of Goal One of the Millennium Development Goals - to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
