Dry spell destroys crops in Karamoja, threatening livelihoods and food security

KOTIDO, June 22, 2026 — Farmers across the Karamoja Sub-region are facing a deepening agricultural crisis as a prolonged dry spell continues to destroy crops, threatening the livelihoods and food security of thousands of households.

With regional weather forecasts indicating that dry conditions are likely to intensify between June and September, Karamoja, a region heavily dependent on a single annual planting season, is bracing for what many fear could become another humanitarian emergency.

The impact of the severe moisture deficit is already visible across vast stretches of farmland.

Fields of groundnuts, sorghum, maize and wheat, which appeared promising only weeks ago, have turned brown and brittle under relentless heat. For communities whose survival depends largely on crop production and livestock, the consequences are increasingly severe.

In North Division, Kotido Municipality, anxiety is mounting as farmers begin counting losses after early rains that had raised hopes of a productive season disappeared prematurely.

Matilda Akello planted maize and groundnuts in mid-May after the first showers arrived. Today, she stands in a scorched garden, uncertain whether she will recover the money she invested in planting three basins of groundnut seed.

Desperation has pushed some residents into difficult financial decisions.

Miria Nakong, also from North Division, Kotido Municipality, sold her bull to venture into maize farming for the first time, hoping for improved returns. Instead, the investment has collapsed.

“Even if the rains return now, I doubt these crops can recover,” Nakong said, adding that the critical growing period has already passed.

The effects of the drought are also being felt in commercial agriculture.

Micheal Angol, a farmer participating in a wheat multiplication project, said his five-acre farm has suffered extensive damage. Although he still expects to harvest, he acknowledged that yields will fall far below expectations.

For the most vulnerable households, crop failure now threatens survival.

Munyes Napeyok, a widow and mother of six who lost her husband, the family’s sole breadwinner, fears the collapse of her three-acre sorghum field could leave her household without food.

“I fear this crop failure will push me and my already vulnerable family into starvation,” she said.

Napeyok, who benefited from the Parish Development Model [PDM] in 2024 and is expected to begin repayments after the expiry of the programme’s two-year grace period, said she spent more than Shs 300,000 hiring ox-ploughs and oxen to prepare her land.

“I do not know where I will recover this money from,” she said.

The financial consequences are extending beyond the farms.

Jennifer Atyang borrowed Shs500,000 from her Village Savings and Loan Association [VSLA] group to finance groundnut cultivation.

“With my crops already destroyed, I am facing a double burden of losing all my income while also being unable to repay my loan,” Atyang said.

“This situation risks trapping my family in a cycle of poverty. Without swift assessment of the damage and early intervention, this dry spell could turn from seasonal hardship into a full-scale humanitarian emergency.”

While weather conditions remain the main driver of the crisis, some residents say systemic challenges have worsened farmers’ vulnerability.

Maria Nachun criticised what she described as inadequate agricultural extension support, arguing that many farmers continue to rely on outdated planting calendars despite changing climate conditions.

“There is a desperate need for stronger sensitisation and guidance to help farmers adapt to changing weather patterns,” Nachun said.

Beyond food insecurity, residents warn that the drought could also disrupt education as struggling families may be unable to meet school expenses.

Anyese Nakale called on district authorities to immediately begin documenting crop losses to facilitate government relief interventions.

The growing concern is shaped by painful memories of 2022, when prolonged drought and food shortages triggered one of Karamoja’s worst humanitarian crises, with local leaders and rights groups reporting widespread deaths linked to starvation, particularly among children and older persons.

As temperatures continue to rise and fields dry out, local leaders say time for intervention is running short.

Pal Komol Lotee, the Kotido District LC5 Chairperson, said district authorities had already begun seeking government support.

“Yesterday [June 18], I contacted the Prime Minister to alert her to the possible disaster facing Karamoja because this drought has not only affected Kotido but the entire region,” Lotee said.

He expressed concern over household food management practices, warning residents against selling off entire harvests without retaining food reserves.

“We have repeatedly advised our people not to sell all their produce, but many do not listen,” he said.

“What happens if government support does not come in time? Could we witness another situation like that of 2022?”

Lotee said the district had directed the revival of the disaster management committee and instructed the production department to begin documenting the full extent of crop losses in preparation for submitting a detailed report to the Office of the Prime Minister for emergency consideration.

For many farmers across Karamoja, the coming months are no longer simply about securing a harvest, they are becoming a struggle for survival.

https://thecooperator.news/kotido-pdm-farmers-struggle-as-drought-persists-despite-recent-showers/

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