President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to use the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Uganda Prisons Service, instead of private contractors, to distribute emergency relief food to drought-hit communities in the Karamoja sub-region.
The directive comes as the government rolls out a food relief programme targeting thousands of households affected by prolonged drought that has left an estimated 600,000 vulnerable people facing acute hunger.
Government has already flagged off 552 tonnes of maize flour and 238 tonnes of beans, procured using Shs45 billion in emergency funding.
The relief supplies will be distributed in the worst-hit districts of Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Karenga and Nabilatuk.
State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny Akori, said the Office of the Prime Minister will oversee the entire operation, while local governments will coordinate distribution from sub-county headquarters to beneficiaries to reduce delays and prevent the mishandling of relief supplies.
She added that the government, through Operation Wealth Creation, will also distribute seeds ahead of the anticipated August rains to enable affected households to resume crop production and strengthen food security.
According to the Office of the Prime Minister, prolonged drought, coupled with the early cessation of rains in May, led to widespread crop failure across Karamoja, worsening food insecurity and leaving hundreds of thousands of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
By Our Reporter
21st July 2026
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