Dr Chrispus Kiyonga, the Chancellor for Makerere University and Bukonzo County West Parliamentary hopeful in Kasese district has raised concern over cases severe food insecurity in the Rwenzori Region and other parts of the country.
The former Defense Minister was speaking at the Annual Leaders’ Retreat in Fort portal City. He observed the need to bring back traditional foods into farm fields and said food was not only a basic human right but also a key pillar for a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future.
He urged the leaders to unite and ensure every household in the region has access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food.
According to him, the leaders and Civil Society Organizations in the region should prioritise the issue of food security on their agenda, arguing that a stunted population has diverse consequences on development.
At least four in every 10 households in Uganda are moderate or severely food insecure according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census report.
Despite being referred to as one of the country’s “food baskets”, 41% of children, 6 – 59 months of age in the Rwenzori sub-region are stunted.
He noted that food insecurity in some areas breeds conflict in homesteads, advising leaders to take an interest in the recent population census findings for better planning.
Kiyonga who is also a well-known farmer in the region also asked regional leaders to guide the community to make informed choices when selecting economic enterprises and consider mobilizing resources to add value to their produce.
He is advocating a regional cash crop so that the framers can attract a better market.
Kiyonga also asked the electoral commission to interest itself in the violence-prone areas and deploy accordingly during the election period.
Beatrice Kiraso, the KRC-Uganda Board Chairperson noted that a stunted population should be a huge concern to the leaders, community and the country.
In July 2022, the Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze informed President Museveni about the need to deliberately intervene to ensure food security in the country and this led to the formulation of strategic interventions in large-scale food production, with a specific focus on Karamoja.
ENDS