President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced a three-phase food stabilisation strategy for Karamoja designed to help communities cope with drought and gradually move away from dependence on emergency food relief.
The plan, which combines climate-resilient crops, livestock, beekeeping and irrigation, follows repeated droughts that have left the government providing emergency food to vulnerable households. Museveni said the government is currently distributing relief food worth about UGX 45 billion in drought-affected areas.
Speaking at the 11th Karamoja Cultural Event at Naitakwae Grounds in Moroto district on Wednesday, September the President said Cabinet had resolved to pursue a more sustainable approach to food security in the region.
The immediate phase will focus on crops that can mature quickly, including sorghum, green gram and white peas. Museveni cautioned households against relying heavily on maize, which he said takes longer to mature and is less suited to Karamoja’s dry conditions.
He also encouraged households to expand goat rearing and beekeeping, while cassava and bananas could be grown in wetter parts of the region.
The longer-term plan will focus on irrigation and commercial agriculture, with the government expected to invest in large water projects, including dams, to reduce dependence on unreliable rainfall.
“Therefore, Karamoja is a fertile area, but it’s because of water body encroachment. Therefore, we are going to put up big projects to support irrigation in Karamoja, like big dams,” he said.
The President also called for a review of cultural practices that may hinder economic progress, urging communities to preserve those that strengthen society while abandoning those that hold back development.
“I think you should do a cultural audit. There are some things in your culture which are good and others which are not good. Keep the good ones and abandon the bad ones,” the President said.
Peace as the foundation
President Museveni linked the food and economic transformation agenda to improved security in Karamoja following the government’s disarmament programme.
He said about 41,000 illegal guns had been recovered from the region, helping reduce insecurity and cattle raids. He also praised women and others who supported the disarmament process and helped former warriors abandon violence for productive livelihoods.
The President directed that Fr. Raphael Lobere be awarded a medal for his contribution to peace restoration in the Karamoja sub-region.
The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, John Baptist Lokii welcomed the food stabilisation strategy but asked the government to delay recovery of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds from beneficiaries affected by the prolonged drought.
“Let us allow Karamojongs to recover properly from this strong drought,” he noted.
The cultural event, which runs from September 6th to 12th, 2026, has attracted about 15,000 participants from the wider Ateker cluster, including communities from Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Beyond celebrating cultural heritage, the gathering is highlighting the region’s potential in tourism, natural resources and agriculture as pathways to lasting peace and economic transformation.
