By Edrisa ssentongo
Civil society Organizations such as Food Rights Alliance, SEATINI and Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group working on multidimensional areas of food system including agriculture, food security, nutrition, governance and public accountability have raised concerns during a press conference at Namirembe in Kampala that Uganda is on the brink of nationwide food crisis post 2026 general elections if the government of Uganda does not implement urgent mitigation and management action immediately.
In 2011 Uganda registered a precedent trend of severe food insecurity following and post general elections according to Uganda bureau of statistic s report with staple commodities such as beans and maize doubling in price within months of 2011 which triggered walk to work demonstrations which was a civil reaction to the high fuel prices and cost of living and food insecurity.
The 2016 cycle was followed by similar distress according to Uganda’s first nationwide integrated food security phase classification report conducted jointly by the government of Uganda, Food and Agricultural organization and FEWS-NET which revealed that 27% of the Ugandan population were food insecure. The analysis attributed this situation to poor rainfall, high market dependency and economic shocks all aggravated by the post election slow down.
The 2021 general elections and beyond were characterized by a period of economic storms, community price escalation and food insecurity and this pattern is feared to last over 15 years which deliberate safeguards to stabilize agricultural production, protect household incomes and manage market shocks to protect Ugandans from the same post election food crisis in 2026.
“We need mitigation and management to prevent severe food insecurity after elections which has happened since 2011 especially after Walk to work, we need to ensure food security and food insecurity is not only in Urbana areas but also in rural areas, said Agnes Kirabo the Executive Director of Food Rights Alliance.
Civil society Organizations are committed to intensify advocacy for accountability, track government and donor commitments on food and nutrition, amplify the voices of the hungry and malnourished at national and district dialogues to ensure inclusive policy decisions and also called Ugandans to rise beyond Political excitement and vote with purpose looking critically at the manifestos of Presidential candidates, Members of Parliament and Local Council leaders.
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