Rose Losike cradles her hild outside their home in NLeomat village, Leptuk sub-county, in Moroto District PHOTO/HERBERT KAMOGA
Rose Losike looks at her young son with sadness. The boy, weak and tired, has not had a proper meal in days. Food is a rare luxury in Leomat village, Leptuk sub-county, in Moroto district. Sitting outside her modest home, the 32-year-old woman stares at the contents of a small cooking pot. It has been two days since her last meal.
“When there is something to eat, I give it to my child. But sometimes, there is nothing at all,” Losike says quietly, her voice heavy with fatigue.
In a nearby homestead, Maria Nakut, a mother of six, faces the same harsh reality. Her family’s meals are few, mostly consisting of wild greens when they can be found.
“Sometimes, I don’t eat for days, because I want my children to have enough food,” she says, her eyes sunken with the heavy toll of hunger.
Despite her efforts, though, food remains scarce, and every day is a struggle to find enough to feed her family.
The situation is no better for 60-year-old Leah Ocholo, who struggles to care for nine grandchildren in Lokomait village, Namalu sub-county in Nakapiripirit district. She relies on a small communal garden established with the help of Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organisation that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger, to feed her family.
“Pests and erratic weather often destroy the crops. Some days, we go without food, but since the children cannot go hungry, I let them eat whatever little there is,” she explains.
These stories are not isolated cases. They are the grim reality for thousands of families in the Karamoja sub-region. This northeastern region, long plagued by hunger and poverty, remains a stark reminder of the vulnerability of communities living on the edge of survival.
Maria Nakut prepares wild greens to feed herself and her children
The Burden of Malnutrition
According to the Nutrition Situation Report, as of November 20, 2024 over 400,000 people in Karamoja, roughly 30 percent of the region’s population, are food insecure. Vulnerable groups, particularly children under five, bear the brunt of the crisis. Currently, at Leptuk Health Centre III in Moroto district, a modest malnutrition clinic, 36 children are undergoing treatment for severe acute malnutrition.
“Many of the children arrive in critical condition, thin and weak. Most are lethargic and irritable, but with proper care, they recover,” says Brian Banya, an enrolled nurse at the clinic.
The facility provides Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a specially designed, nutrient-rich food used to treat severe acute malnutrition and combat its effects on mothers and their malnourished children.
However, outreach programs are essential for identifying malnutrition cases in remote villages, where poor health-seeking behaviors often prevent families from seeking care.
"Without outreaches, we admit only 15 to 20 clients a month. During mass screenings, we uncover many more who urgently need treatment. Due to the reluctance of most people to seek help until their condition becomes severe or acute, these outreach efforts are critical in reaching those who would otherwise go unnoticed,” Banya explains.
Simon Ondoga, the Principal Nutritionist at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, who also doubles as the Karamoja Regional Nutritionist, says malnutrition in region has risen alarmingly, with the global burden of acute malnutrition (Global Acute Malnutrition rate) increasing to 12.2 percent in 2024 from 11.3 percent in 2023.
“Amudat district is the worst affected area, with a GAM rate of 17.3 percent, followed by Kaabong at 16.2 percent. The lowest is Abim district at 5.7 percent. “For the burden not to cause an alarm, it must be less than five percent. Anything above that is cause for alarm,” Ondoga emphasises.
He further explains that the consequences of malnutrition are severe: stunted growth, weakened immunity, cognitive delays, and, in extreme cases, death.
“Many families resort to desperate measures, eating wild fruits, leaves, or leftovers. Some parents often sacrifice their meals to feed their children. However, malnutrition is not just a result of food scarcity. It is also about what people eat and how they eat. Diets in Karamoja lack essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals,” Ondoga says.
Hope in legislation
A glimmer of hope for addressing these challenges lies in the Food and Nutrition Bill 2024, a comprehensive legal framework that seeks to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition across Uganda.
Spearheaded by Hon. Milton Muwuma, the Chairperson of Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security (UPA-FNS), the bill aims to enshrine the right to food as a fundamental human right.
“While our Constitution guarantees basic rights, it does not explicitly include the right to food. This bill fills that gap,” Muwuma explains.
Under Clause 10, the bill mandates the State to provide sustainable food systems, ensuring every Ugandan has access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food.
On September 24, 2024, Hon. Muwuma was granted leave by Parliament following the presentation of the motion for the Food and Nutrition Bill. This leave was intended to provide him with additional time for consultations with various stakeholders, including development partners, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as district leaders and community members before the Bill is tabled for its first reading in Parliament.
In light of this, UPA-FNS organised regional consultative meetings in the Karamoja sub-region. These meetings brought together district, religious, and local leaders, alongside development partners, to gather further input and insights to enrich the Bill.
This collaborative approach aims to ensure the proposed legislation is comprehensive and reflective of the needs and priorities of all stakeholders.
The Food and Nutrition Bill 2024, proposes a multi-sectoral approach to tackling food insecurity. It designates specific roles for various ministries, from agriculture and health to education and trade, ensuring coordinated efforts.
Crucially, it also seeks to establish national, district, and household food reserves, reviving a concept that many believe could transform Uganda’s food security landscape. The bill also mandates heads of households to ensure food security for their families, with non-compliance subject to penalties.
“The bill includes provisions to ensure that a portion, say 30 percent, of bumper harvests is stored for future consumption. Despite being part of the East African Community, Uganda is the only country without national food reserves, a situation at odds with its ambitions of achieving middle-income status when many still go hungry,” says Muwuma.
He adds that the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is allocated funds for relief food purchases, but a more sustainable approach would be to use these funds to buy surplus food from farmers, at fair prices, during harvest seasons.
“This food could then be stored in the government reserves and distributed in times of need. Such a strategy not only secures food supply but also supports farmers economically, creating a win-win solution for food security and economic stability,” Muwuma says.
For regions like Karamoja, the bill emphasises tailor-made solutions to address unique challenges, such as erratic weather patterns and limited access to farming tools.
Hon. Stella Atyanga, the Woman Member of Parliament for Morocco district, highlights the urgent need to adopt modern farming methods in Karamoja, such as mechanisation and irrigation.
“We have a few valley dams, though more are needed. The existing ones are underutilised because poor communities cannot afford irrigation equipment. The government must step in to invest in extending water to farms and purchasing surplus food during harvest seasons to build reserves,” she advises.
Hon. Philiphs Lokwang Ilukol, the Member of Parliament for Napore West in Karenga district, stresses the importance of the Food and Nutrition Bill in holding the government accountable while highlighting the need for community education.
“The Bill is crucial in compelling duty bearers, primarily the government, to fulfill their responsibilities. However, the key focus should be on sensitising and educating the local communities to ensure they consume the food they grow during the rainy season sparingly and reserve some for times of scarcity. We also urge the government, as the main duty bearer, to address the challenges preventing the people of Karamoja from producing sufficient food,” he says.
A historical perspective
For decades, the Karamoja sub-region has been plagued by insecurity, largely stemming from cattle rustling, a practice intertwined with the cultural and economic fabric of the Karimojong. These raids - often violent - disrupted livelihoods, displaced communities, and left fertile lands uncultivated.
The insecurity also hindered investments in infrastructure and social services, further entrenching poverty and food insecurity.
While interventions by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have restored relative peace, the scars of this instability linger.
Many communities are yet to reclaim abandoned land or rebuild sustainable agricultural practices. Compounding this are environmental challenges. Karamoja’s climate is characterised by erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and occasional floods.
“These extreme weather events make farming unpredictable, turning agriculture into a high-stakes gamble despite the region’s fertile soils. The weather is so unpredictable that farming becomes a gamble,” Lokwang explains.
Efforts to address water scarcity have seen government interventions like valley dams and irrigation schemes. However, these initiatives often lack the infrastructure to ensure efficient water distribution. Without adequate support for equipment like pumps and pipes, most farmers rely on traditional, labor-intensive methods that are inefficient and vulnerable to failure.
Additionally, Karamoja’s nutritional crisis is exacerbated by poverty and limited access to education on modern agricultural techniques or nutrition. Many households depend on subsistence farming and livestock, which are highly vulnerable to climate shocks.
The absence of resilient markets for their produce further limits income generation and access to diverse foods.
Peter Eceru, the advocacy overseer for Action Against Hunger, emphasises that food and nutritional security in Karamoja remain elusive due to the interplay of these historical and structural factors.
“Addressing the crisis requires a holistic approach, including sustained peace-building efforts, investments in climate-resilient agriculture, infrastructure development, and community-based education initiatives. Only by tackling these root causes can the region hope to break free from the cycle of hunger and poverty,” he says.
ICYMI:
The Role of Advocacy
Civil society organizations like Action Against Hunger play a critical role in advocating for long-term solutions. According to Eceru, the Food and Nutrition Bill is a long-overdue step in addressing the systemic challenges of food insecurity.
“The bill provides a clear framework for prioritising food and nutrition issues. It also emphasises community sensitisation, which is crucial for addressing knowledge gaps,” he says.
Eceru also points to the importance of integrating trained nutritionists into the public service.
“Currently, most local government nutrition programs are handled by untrained focal persons. We need professionals who can design and implement effective interventions,” he argues.
The bill also tackles school feeding programs, a critical issue in Karamoja, where over 70 percent of children lack food during school hours. This lack of nourishment contributes to poor academic performance and high dropout rates.
Mr Milton Muwuma, Chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentary Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security .
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Changing the narrative
While the Food and Nutrition Bill 2024 offers a pathway to addressing hunger and malnutrition, its success depends on effective implementation.
“Adequate funding, community engagement, and strong political will are essential to making its provisions a reality,” Eceru says.
For now, the people of Karamoja continue to grapple with daily struggles. Women like Losike and Nakut wait for the day when food security will no longer be a distant dream. Their stories, echoed by thousands across the region, are a sobering reminder of the urgency of this legislation.
As Uganda takes steps toward securing food for its people, the world must remember the faces behind the statistics. In Karamoja, hunger is not just a policy issue; it is a human tragedy that demands immediate action.
For those like Losike, who have waited far too long, hope lies in turning promises into tangible change.
