MUSEVENI DIRECTS UPDF, PRISONS TO HANDLE KARAMOJA RELIEF FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Trucks carrying some of the relief food items destined for Karamoja.

NILE POST

President  Museveni has directed the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to stop relying on suppliers contracted by the office to deliver relief items to communities affected by hunger in the Karamoja sub-region.

The directive comes after the government launched the distribution of emergency food relief to Karamoja following a prolonged drought that has severely affected food production in the region.

The intervention involves the supply of 552 tonnes of maize flour and 238 tonnes of beans to the most affected districts, including Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Karenga, and Nabilatuk.

The relief items were procured using Shs45 billion in emergency funds authorized by President Museveni.

According to the Minister of State for Northern Uganda in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Kennethine Akori, President Museveni advised that the exercise should not depend on OPM-procured suppliers but should instead be managed through the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Uganda Prisons Service.

“I want to thank the President for his wise guidance. This time we are not using contractors. He argued that we should not rely on the suppliers that OPM has procured. We should rely on the UPDF and the prisons, who have a good amount of food with them,” Akori said.

She explained that the OPM has since signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) to facilitate the supply of food items for the affected communities.

 “As Minister of Northern Uganda and OPM, our work is only to monitor the delivery of this food until it reaches the local governments. The local governments will take over from there,” she said.

Akori added that the relief food would be delivered directly to sub-county headquarters to minimize delays and prevent possible mismanagement.

“We told them this food needs to go directly to sub-county headquarters to avoid delays and mishandling of these food items. I am optimistic that this food will reach the intended beneficiaries,” she said.

She made the remarks during the inauguration of the new president of the Lions Club of Rubirizi in Rubirizi District on July 17.

The minister also pledged continued political and community mobilization to support Karamoja’s long-term transformation through initiatives such as the four-acre model aimed at improving household incomes and reducing poverty.

Karamoja is experiencing one of the longest droughts recorded in Northern Uganda, with the last rains received around the first week of May.

The region’s heavy dependence on seasonal agriculture has left many households facing severe food shortages after crops, including maize planted earlier in the season, dried up.

According to the Office of the Prime Minister, about 600,000 vulnerable people in Karamoja are currently facing acute hunger and starvation.

Akori said the government, through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), had secured seeds that would be distributed before the end of July to enable communities to plant immediately when rains return, expected around August.

Meanwhile, Lion Vincent B. Tumusiime has been inaugurated as the second president of the Lions Club of Rubirizi, taking over leadership of a club with more than 68 members.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, outgoing president Lion Kwesiga Rosbell Tumusiime highlighted achievements registered during her one-year tenure, including improved discipline, timely payment of membership dues, and increased participation from members.

“We have been able to pay our dues on time, the discipline in the club is very good, and more members, including those from abroad, are willing to be part of us,” she said.

She added that the club had implemented several community service activities in areas including cancer awareness, diabetes prevention, environmental conservation, supporting vulnerable groups, and providing medical assistance.

“We have served under cancer, diabetes, environment, given food to the hungry, and treated the sick. We have achieved a lot,” she said.

The new president, Lion Vincent B. Tumusiime, pledged to strengthen community service initiatives and expand the club’s reach.

“Our vision moving forward, as we step into this new Lionistic year, will be centered on expanding our outreach and, where possible, sponsoring a Lions Club in Katerera,” he said.

He also announced plans to establish a Kampala chapter for members of the Rubirizi Lions Club living in the capital to meet regularly and promote the club’s agenda.

Tumusiime, who serves as a director at the Directorate of Socio-Economic Monitoring and Research in the Office of the President, said his leadership would focus on increasing the visibility of the club, strengthening community impact, and supporting the district governor’s agenda.