The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has tasked the Office of the Prime Minister to undertake a coordinated plan to address the hunger issue in the Karamoja sub region.
Last week, Esther Anyakun, the Minister for State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees told MPs that 517,000 people in Karamoja are at risk of food insecurity with the worst hit areas being Kotido, Napak, and Kaabong Districts.
On Tuesday, Among tasked the government to provide short, medium, and long-term solutions to address the escalating humanitarian catastrophe. She advised that the focus should be moved to mindset change of the people in Karamoja.
Among also reiterated a call for the establishment of a Disaster Preparedness and Management Commission as provided for under Article 249 of the Constitution. She argued that if the commission is in place, it will be able to avert such disasters before the situation gets out of control.
The Opposition Chief Whip, John Baptist Nambeshe called for legislation to strengthen the capacity of district disaster management committees, blaming such disasters on what he termed incapacitated committees.
The Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Agnes Nandutu called for expedited disarmament of the Karamojong rustlers, noting that the insecurity in the region has compounded the food shortage in the region. She added that the Ministry of Agriculture has pledged to provide 50 tractors to be used for food production.
Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament – LOP asked the government to reassure the country of its capacity to avert the famine in Karamoja and drought in the whole country, given the prevailing food crisis.
Robinah Nabbanja, the Prime Minister revealed that the famine situation will be addressed under the Contingency Fund. She pointed out that the Government has appropriated 165 billion Shillings to respond to the crisis.
Parliament has given the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development – MoFPED a five-day ultimatum to report to the House why Euros 10 million, about Shillings 39 billion interest-free loans to improve health structures in Karamoja, has not been utilized.
The loan was approved in the 10th Parliament after MPs passed a resolution, approving an interest-free loan to support the improvement of health facilities in the Karamoja sub-region.
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