The government has started implementing strategies to abolish nomadic pastoralism and promote agriculture as a source of sustainable livelihood in Karamoja sub-region.
Government officials say this will help in the fight against persistent food insecurity and also increase family income in the sub-region.
The State minister for Agriculture, Mr Christopher Kibanzanga, while addressing residents and leaders during a meeting on home grown feeding programme by World Food Programme (WFP) at Kalotom Primary School in Napak District at the weekend, said the strategies will ensure locals abandon nomadic pastoralism and embrace agriculture and paddocks.
Mr Kibanzanga said nomadism is responsible for the continuous outbreak of famine, which claims lives due to food shortage.
The minster of State for Karamoja Affairs, Mr Moses Kizige, said economic growth has been slowed down due to cultural impediments.
“We want to transform Karimojong from the habit of surviving on handouts to self-sustainability with or without food aid,” he said. Mr John Longetsi, a resident, said government should engage them to adopt the proposed programmes.
Karamoja sub-region is constituted by several tribes. These include Jie, Turkana, Dodoso, Nyakwai, Toposa and Nyangatom.
Mr Ryan Anderson, the WFP deputy country director, said through the initiative of homegrown food programme, they have supported farmers with seeds, farm equipment and post-harvest handling machines, among others.
The Ministry of Water and Environment permanent secretary, Mr Alfred Okidi Okot, recently said they are designing 14 strategic dams to be constructed in Karamoja to support farming.
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