Tayari News
Poor harvests and food shortages in Kotido District have forced hundreds of residents, mainly women and children, to migrate to neighbouring districts in search of food, prompting leaders to call for intensified community sensitisation and stronger agricultural support.
The call follows the return of 274 women and children who had left Kotido due to hunger and were transported back from Agago District on Sunday evening with the support of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) 5th Division and district authorities.
Speaking during the reception of the returnees on Monday, Emmanuel Lodoi, the Kotido District Speaker, said poor harvests during the previous farming season had forced many residents to migrate in search of food and survival. “As we are all aware, Kotido did not do well in the last season. People did not cultivate enough, and the harvest was very low. That is what made many of them leave the district,” Lodoi said.
He noted that many of the migrants came from areas such as Panyangara Sub-county and Rengen Sub-county, with some leaving even before the recent elections. Lodoi said district leaders are concerned about the growing trend of residents moving to neighbouring districts to survive, describing it as a “virus” that must be addressed through community mobilisation and mindset change.
“We need to see how we can stop this virus of people going to other districts looking for survival. The Karamoja seasons have changed, and people can cultivate and grow food here,” he said. While acknowledging that the migrants were peacefully hosted by communities in Agago, Lodoi warned that women and children remain vulnerable when they leave their homes.
“These are women and children who are vulnerable. When they move to other districts, they are exposed to different risks,” he said. He also proposed that returning migrants be screened for health conditions such as HIV/AIDS and pregnancy before reintegrating into their communities. “We need to screen them to find out whether they were safe while away. This will help protect our communities,” Lodoi added.
Brian Etuko, the Kotido District Senior Probation Officer, confirmed that the district received the returnees through coordination between local leaders and the UPDF. “We received these people today courtesy of the district leadership coordinated by the district chairperson. We contacted the management of the UPDF in the 5th Division and were able to deliver them safely to the district,” Etuko said.He explained that hunger pressures at the household level forced many families to send women and children to neighbouring areas to look for food. “These people left because they had nothing to eat in their families. That is why they decided to move to neighbouring areas to look for food,” he said.
Etuko said the returnees reported that they were treated well by host communities in Agago and that no abuse was recorded during their stay. However, he acknowledged that it is difficult for authorities to stop people from leaving when food shortages worsen. “When hunger strikes, it becomes difficult for the district to restrain people from moving. Sometimes if you try to stop them, you might even get injured,” he said.
He urged the returnees to resume farming activities as communities prepare land for the next planting season. “We want them to join the rest of the community members who are clearing land and preparing their gardens so that they can plant crops,” Etuko said. He also encouraged residents to take advantage of government agricultural support programmes providing farming tools and seedlings.
Meanwhile, Sabina Kapel, the Female Councillor V of Panyangara Sub-county, said delayed response from district disaster committees also contributed to the migration as families waited for support. Kapel urged the district government and development partners to strengthen support for vulnerable households and ensure children who are left with their parents return to school.
“I call upon the district and partners to support these families because many children have missed school while searching for food,” she said. According to Kapel, the returnees constitute only a small fraction of residents who migrated to Agago in search of food..
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