Dr. Kizza Besigye a four time challenger of President Yoweri Museveni has blamed the worrying famine in the country on government’s poor planning.
There is no reason why we can’t preserve food or water. It’s a failure of the regime led by Mr Museveni, Dr. Besigye told NBS TV on Sunday.
“There is no reason why we can’t prepare to preserve water for the periods when there is no rain.
“There is no reason why we cannot preserve food for the time when there is no food production.
“It is a failure of the regime. Those animals that are dying in Kiruhura, in Isingiro and the people that are dying of hunger in Teso are not being killed by the natural phenomenon, they are killed by the NRM regime led by Mr. Museveni.
Food shortage hits Karamoja, Teso again
Scores of people in Katakwi district are facing starvation after flooding and a subsequent dry spell affected their crop yields. Many of them have resorted to eating mangoes to stay alive.
Karamoja sub-region in north eastern Uganda is also experiencing shortage of food.
Several families are now having one meal a day while the less fortunate ones have been compelled to eat leaves gathered from trees.
Authorities and residents of the sub-region blame the food shortage on drought which has caused crops to wither.
While the First Lady Janet Museveni was still Karamoja minister in 2013, thousands reached the the brink of death as a result of starvation. The severe hunger killed over 50 people in Karamoja in less than two months, according to local authorities. Today, the worst hit district is Kaabong, where 20 people died due to starvation in 2013.
Cattle in Isingiro, Kiruhura starve to death
Livestock in the neigbouring districts of Isingiro and Kiruhura are dying due to starvation following prolonged drought in the area.
The Kiruhura LC5 chairman, Mr Sam Katugunda, said more than 5,000 cows have died since the drought began in April.
Dr Bruhan Kasozi, the Isingiro veterinary officer told ThUgandan in the last two months, 4,500 head of cattle have been relocated to neighbouring Tanzania in search of pasture and water while other people are selling cows at as low as Shs20,000.