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Appearing before Parliament’s Presidential Affairs Committee on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, Engola said the current food intervention was necessary to save lives but could not provide a lasting solution to a problem that has persisted for about 40 years.
“The problem of Karamoja, which is 40 years, is very easy to finish, but there is no sitting where people sit and plan for Karamoja,” Engola told the committee.
He said government had secured Shs45 billion from the Consolidated Fund for the emergency food response after he presented a 16-page Cabinet memorandum, adding that there was still a balance after food had been supplied to all districts in Karamoja.
The Minister said his long-term ideas include building silos, expanding irrigation and improving water infrastructure, arguing that Karamoja’s population could produce food if the necessary infrastructure was provided.
Engola also pointed to mini-irrigation projects started by the World Food Programme, saying government was working with the new Minister for Karamoja Affairs and the State Minister to develop longer-term solutions.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, had earlier challenged the Office of the Prime Minister to explain its long-term strategy, given that Karamoja repeatedly faces severe drought and hunger.
“Every year Karamoja faces severe hunger as a result of prolonged drought,” Mapenduzi said, asking how long government would continue mobilising resources to feed the region when interventions such as water technologies and irrigation could address the underlying causes.
Bushenyi District Woman Representative, Hon. Annet Katusiime, similarly pressed for a deliberate programme to move Karamoja towards food production, while Dodoth East County MP, Peter Pex Paak, questioned how long government would continue feeding the region.
“For 40 years, you have been feeding Karamoja. You want to feed Karamoja for another 40 years? … Why don't we have permanent solutions? A ministry for disaster must be having plans to prevent certain things,” he said.
Manafwa District Woman Representative Hon. Rose Mutonyi also called for a deliberate agricultural strategy.
Responding to the concerns, Assistant Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness Catherine Ahimbisibwe said the long-term solution was being developed under the Karamoja Development Plan, prepared by the Ministry for Karamoja Affairs together with the National Planning Authority.
She said the plan includes a shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture, irrigation, large-scale water infrastructure and environmental conservation.
Ahimbisibwe said the immediate relief operation had reached all nine Karamoja districts, 102 sub-counties, 480 parishes and 313,987 households, with 9,419,610 kilogrammes of maize flour and beans distributed. Each household received 20kg of maize flour and 10kg of beans.
However, she said poor roads, vehicle breakdowns, inadequate storage and discrepancies between households found on the ground and the 2024 census figures had left some vulnerable households out.
The Office of the Prime Minister also told the committee it needs additional trucks to strengthen disaster response. Principal Disaster Management Officer Cyprian Dhikusooka said the ministry wants a minimum fleet of 10 trucks, with each estimated to cost between Shs800 million and Shs1 billion.
“We need extra six trucks,” Dhikusooka said.
Mapenduzi directed the ministry to submit detailed documentation on the emergency response, including the El Niño plan, its budget implications, households relocated, Shs10 million payments and land acquired.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
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