Karenga district moots plan to enact ordinance on mandatory cassava growing

10 August 2026, 2:26 pm

By Alexander Mackey Okori

KARENGA: The leadership of Karenga district is considering enacting an ordinance on mandatory cassava growing in order to promote food security to fight biting hunger in the area as a result of protracted drought.

The moves comes at a time nearly half a million people Karamoja Sub-region are facing acute hunger after successive climate shocks, poor harvests and rising food prices eroded livelihoods, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis cited by Oxfam Uganda.

The assessment conducted between April and July this year indicates that about 473,000 people, nearly one in three of those assessed in the region, face crisis levels of acute food insecurity. 

The IPC estimates that about 122,100 children under the age of five will require treatment for acute malnutrition between March 2026, and February 2027, including 30,600 cases of severe acute malnutrition.

All nine districts in Karamoja are classified in IPC Phase 3, with the most severe conditions observed in Kaabong, Kotido, Karenga, Moroto and Nabilatuk, where up to 5 percent of the population is in Emergency and as many as 45 percent of the population face Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) outcomes.

Compared to the same period last year, the situation has moderately deteriorated, with a 2 percent increase in the population facing IPC Phase III or above, driven by climatic shocks, below-average food and livestock production, pest and disease outbreaks, and high food prices.

The food security situation is projected to seasonally improve between August 2026 and February 2027, with the population in IPC Phase 3 or above expected to decrease to 352,000 people (24 percent of the analysed population), and no populations projected in IPC Phase IV.

However, food insecurity will remain structurally persistent, particularly in Kaabong, Kotido, Karenga and Moroto, where between 25 and 35 percent of households are still expected to face Crisis-level outcomes.

As one of the long-term interventions, Paul Lopeyok, the LCV Chairperson Karenga district, said his office is currently drafting a proposed ordinance on mandatory cassava production.

“Once the draft ordinance is complete, the district will hold consultative meetings with various stakeholders on the proposed ordinance before its presented to council for approval” Lopeyok noted.

Under the new ordinance, Lopeyok stated that every household will be required to grow at least two acres of cassava yearly.

He believe this initiative will bolster food security and address persistent famine in the area caused by climate shocks.

Lopeyok noted that some families in the district who planted cassava are not severely affect by the current hunger being experienced in Karamoja Sub-region due to prolonged drought, which resulted in widespread crop failures.

“Most of the families that have been hit hard by famine in Karenga are the one which don’t grow cassava. We want to come up with this ordinance to enable this district-county to become a cassava growing hub in Karamoja Sub-region and eradicate poverty, “he told this publication in a phone interview.

Denis Ilukol Lokuda, the LCIII Chairperson of Lobalangit Sub-county has welcomed the move to enacted district ordinance on compulsory cassava growing.

He observed that growing cassava will not only fight famine but also improve the livelihoods of the locals.

“We have the capacity to produce beyond demand because we have the land and the manpower. All we need is to rally government to support our people with improved breeds of cassava cuttings”, Ilukol Lokuda.

He said that with the perplexing climate change, Lokuda said the situation is worsening day by day and predicts that more people would be at risk of starvating to death.

“With the current relative peace in the area, many people are willing to go into agriculture since livestock is reducing. Many are now turning to farming though in most cases, they affected by climate shocks”, stated Lokuda.