The Government, through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), has flagged off emergency food supplies for distribution to vulnerable households in the Karamoja sub-region following prolonged drought and worsening food insecurity.
The consignment was flagged off by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja alongside the Managing Director of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), Lt. Gen. James Mugira, the State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Esther Anyakun, and the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Sam Engola.
The intervention follows a directive by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to release Shs45 billion for emergency food relief in Karamoja after reports of severe hunger and hunger-related deaths in the region.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at the National Enterprise Corporation headquarters in Kampala, Nabbanja commended the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for responding swiftly to the crisis.
She said the UPDF, through NEC, supplied food at lower prices than those quoted by private service providers, noting that while some suppliers charged up to Shs4,500 per kilogramme of beans and Shs3,320 per kilogramme of posho, NEC supplied beans at Shs4,000 per kilogramme and posho at Shs2,800 per kilogramme.
The Prime Minister said the relief food will benefit more than 300,000 households across 480 parishes in Karamoja. Each household will receive 20 kilogrammes of posho and 10 kilogrammes of beans free of charge.
She warned that the Government would not tolerate the diversion or misuse of relief food, saying anyone found culpable would face the full force of the law.
State Minister for Disaster Preparedness Sam Engola urged the Government to invest in long-term solutions to recurring food shortages by constructing more dams and expanding electricity infrastructure to support irrigation in Karamoja.
The State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Esther Anyakun, praised the Government for responding to the humanitarian situation and pledged to ensure the relief food reaches the intended beneficiaries.
NEC Managing Director Lt. Gen. James Mugira said the food was sourced from UPDF farms in Kisozi, Kyankwanzi and other production centres. He added that NEC had supplied high-quality posho and beans and would closely supervise the distribution process to ensure accountability.
By Olivia Nabaggala
20th July 2026
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