Kotido PDM farmers struggle as drought persists despite recent showers
Despite scattered showers across the Karamoja Sub-region, farmers supported by the government’s Parish Development Model [PDM] are witnessing crop failures, deteriorating livestock, and dwindling hopes
KOTIDO, July 7, 2025 — At first light in Losilang Subcounty in Kotido district, the parched earth cracks beneath Koryang Mary’s feet as she walks past rows of shrivelled sorghum. Although rain fell last week, the land remains desperately dry.
The long-awaited return of rainfall in the district has brought little comfort among the farmers. Instead, it has laid bare a deeper crisis: the increasing vulnerability of rural livelihoods in the face of climate change.
Despite scattered showers across the Karamoja Sub-region, farmers supported by the government’s Parish Development Model [PDM] are witnessing crop failures, deteriorating livestock, and dwindling hopes.
“We planted when the rains came, but the soil was already too tired. The seeds didn’t sprout,” says Koryang. “Now we’re watching the skies again, but it’s too late.”
The PDM was introduced in February 2022, as a flagship initiative of government to lift Uganda’s active poor out of poverty through a revolving fund established at the parish level. In Kotido, hundreds of farmers eagerly embraced the programme, forming groups, and receiving One million shillings each, which they used to buy different seeds, and planted with optimism. But the climate had other plans.
According to the latest Kotido Drought Bulletin, water sources such as pans and rivers remain dry, and over 90 percent of households depend on boreholes. Pastureland is scarce, and livestock diseases are on the rise. Crops like sorghum and maize have failed to reach maturity.
“The rain came too little, too late,” says Christine Lokiru, the district’s Natural Resource Officer. “We’re seeing a pattern of flash floods followed by prolonged dry spells. It’s not enough to support sustainable agriculture.”
PDM farmers left in limbo
For farmers like Rose Akiru in Rengen Subcounty, the heartbreak is personal. “We were told this was our chance to rise,” she says. “We formed a group, got the seeds, and planted. But the rains stopped after just two weeks. Now we have nothing to show.”
Many PDM groups had expected to repay their revolving funds from their harvests. With widespread crop failure, repayment now seems unlikely, and some fear being blacklisted from future support.
“We’re not lazy,” Rose adds. “We just need the weather to work with us.”
Climate, mismanagement, and missed opportunities
The crisis in Kotido is about more than just rainfall. Climate change, inadequate infrastructure, and poor post-harvest practices have combined to deepen rural food insecurity.
Charles Ichogor, the Kotido Resident District Commissioner [RDC], notes that while some areas enjoyed a bumper harvest last year, many farmers sold off their entire yields, leaving nothing for the lean season.
“We need to teach food security, not just farming,” he said. At the same time, key valley dam projects intended to provide irrigation support have stalled, some halted at the groundbreaking stage due to compensation disputes and alleged corruption.
Women and youth bearing the brunt
The crisis has hit women and young people hardest, as they make up the majority of the district’s agricultural workforce. Many are now migrating to neighbouring districts such as Abim and Otuke in search of food and employment.
“We’re not leaving because we want to,” says Nakiru Lorot, a mother of three waiting at the Kotido bus park. “We’re leaving because hunger is chasing us away.”
Glimmers of hope
Despite the grim outlook, some farmers are adapting. In Longaroe Subcounty, a women’s group supported by Mercy Corps and the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda [NARWOA] has turned to kitchen gardens, using compost and water-saving methods. Their small plots remain green, a rare sight in the dry fields of Kotido.
“We can’t control the rain,” says group leader Maria Lokiru. “But we can change how we farm.”
A Call to action
Kotido’s farmers are not asking for miracles, only for support that aligns with the harsh realities of their environment. With access to drought-resistant seeds, functioning irrigation, proper food storage, and climate-smart training, they believe they can transform hardship into resilience.
The rains may have returned, but until climate resilience is built into every seed, every loan, and every promise, hunger will remain, and hope will wither.
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