KAMPALA, Uganda — The European Union has funded a $5.5 million project aimed at enhancing food resilience in Uganda’s vulnerable Karamoja region.
The three-year initiative, launched Tuesday, seeks to improve food security and resilience of food production systems in the region.
Maj. Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama, Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, was represented by Under Secretary Ronald Ssegawa Gyagenda at the launch.
Gyagenda emphasized the need for swift implementation, quoting Kasura-Kyomukama’s remarks.
“There is great need to fast-track the implementation of this project, considering the country has lost significant time from the planned 2023 start date,” Gyagenda said.
The project will be implemented in all nine districts of Karamoja: Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Karenga, Kotido, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripiriti, and Napak.
At least 16,000 households are expected to benefit directly, with an additional 80,000 people benefiting indirectly.
Karamoja is one of Uganda’s most vulnerable regions to climate-related shocks and hazards, contributing to persistently low food and livestock production levels.
“The Karamoja region faces significant challenges, including insecurity, environmental degradation, and climate change,” Gyagenda said, reiterating Kasura-Kyomukama’s concerns. “This project will address these barriers and improve food security and resilience.”
Representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), European Union (EU), and World Food Program (WFP) attended the launch.
The project’s implementation is crucial, given the region’s below-average crop yields in the 2023/24 season due to prolonged dry spells.
