KARAMOJA – Food prices in Karamoja have hiked in the last few weeks following heavy rains that have rendered several roads in the sub-region impassable.
Currently, the most affected roads include Mbale, Moroto via Nakapiripirit district after it developed several bad spots around Ngenge, Tabakony, and Okudud. Another impassable road includes Lira, to Kotido via Abim district and Kaabog to Kitgum via Karenga district.
On Tuesday 29, several tourists and a team of Uganda wild Life Authority got stuck with more than ten Giraffes that they were relocating from Murchison falls national park to Pian Upe game reserve in Nakapiripirit district.
The current poor road network has forced several traders in the region to increase the prices of food citing difficulties in transport the merchandize to Karamoja.
A short survey by MPL Daily in some districts in Karamoja finds that in Moroto town a kilogram of sugar which was sold at shs3,500 now it’s at shs4,000. a kilogram of Maize flour is now sold at shs3,000 from 2,000 in the past week, while in Kotido town maize flour is sold at shs4,000 from shs3,700. a kilogram.
A kilogram of rice in Kotido has increased from shs3,500 to shs4,000 while in Kotido it’s sold at shs4,500 from shs4,000.
Karamoja region gets more than 97% of its food from the neighboring districts of Mbale Teso, Lango and Sebei regions.
Mr. Simon Nagiro one of the traders dealing in food staffs in Kotido district said the bad roads in the region were preventing the region from development.
“We face a lot of challenges in transporting these food items to Karamoja and when you compute sometimes we make loses that’s why we are trying to increase some prices trying to recover what we are losing while transporting the food staff,” he said.
Karamoja region has been receiving heavy rain fall that has damaged roads in the region.
Last week Uganda National Metrologies Authority warned for heavy rainfall over the coming season, with flooding possible across over eight agricultural zones throughout Uganda.
The forecast says the onset of the second season has already begun in most parts of the country with those predicted to receive above-normal rainfall exceeding the average amount received over the last 30 years.
Eng Goerge Sonko the Uganda National Roads Authority Engineer Mbale station confirmed the poor state of the road but said the situation will be solved in the next two days.
He said they have also been facing a big challenge in transporting the road equipments to the flooded areas due to muddy.
He appealed the public to be patient as they are working around the clock to clear the road.