Karamoja MPs demand resignation of Agnes Nandutu

While addressing the media, the MPs who were led by their chairperson, Remigio Achia, accused the Minister of State for Karamoja Affairs, Agnes Nandutu, and the main Minister Goretti Kitutu for hiding the relief items in their homes.

“We are demanding for the resignation of both ministers in charge of Karamoja Affairs. They have not done enough to address the issues affecting the region. They have both mismanaged relief items meant to help people in the region,” she told the media.

Achia alleged that iron sheets and bags of posho meant for the people of Karamoja were found in Nandutu’s and Kitutu’s homes respectively.

She asked President Museveni to carry out thorough investigations about the matter, urging the two ministers to resign for doing a deplorable act.

Last year, the region was reported to be facing acute food shortage leading to famine. High food prices have left many families unable to afford nutritious foods – forcing them to find other ways to cope. Some families were forced to consume their seed stocks, leaving nothing for the planting season while others have had to borrow money or reduce expenditure on necessities such as education and health.

It was reported that over 40% of the population (518,000 people) in Karamoja was facing high levels of food insecurity. In 2021, when similar analysis was done, the figure was about 30% (361,000 people).

Of the 518,000 people with high levels of food insecurity, 428,000 were experiencing phase three (crisis levels of food insecurity) and 90,000 people are at phase four (emergency levels of food insecurity).

In Moroto District, one of the nine districts that make up Karamoja sub-region of northeastern Uganda, over half of the population goes without any food for an entire day and night for at least three days a month.