The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has once again raised concern over the estimated two million Ugandan children under the age of five living with stunting, linking the crisis to the destruction of the livestock economy in northern and northeastern Uganda during the late 1980s.
Addressing journalists at a press conference on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, at Uganda House, UPC President Jimmy Akena said 26 percent of children under the age of five suffer from stunting, a condition that permanently affects brain development, learning ability, physical growth, educational achievement, and lifetime opportunities.
“These are the children who form part of Uganda’s future,” Akena said.
He said the highest rates of stunting are found in regions with the lowest levels of milk consumption, including Lango, Teso, Acholi, and parts of West Nile and Karamoja, areas that lost much of their cattle during the conflicts of the late 1980s.
Akena referred to historical statements by President Museveni acknowledging the destruction of food supplies and the destitution of about 2.7 million people during that period. He argued that the loss of cattle deprived communities of daily nutrition, household income, school fees, draft power, and soil fertility, leaving effects that continue to be felt today.
Through the Jimmy Akena Foundation, he said efforts have begun to rehabilitate dip tanks to help restore livestock health and increase milk production at the village level, starting with facilities in Apac, Alebtong, and Iganga districts. . He also credited former UN Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu and former Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo for promoting reconciliation among affected communities.
Commenting on the recent LCI elections, Akena described the process as farcical and marred by widespread rigging, saying it reflected many of the shortcomings seen during the general elections. He congratulated successful UPC candidates but argued that the polls fell short of basic democratic standards.
Akena also announced that UPC will soon convene a delegates’ conference, followed by internal party elections, as part of efforts to strengthen the party and enhance its capacity to offer solutions to the country’s future challenges.
