Guly, Uganda: The Minister for Northern Uganda in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Dr. Kenneth Omona and the Acholi Paramount Chief, Rwot David Onen Acana II have asked the people of Acholi and Northern Uganda to renew their mind-sets on fighting poverty, as the regions is ranked one of the poorest in the country especially the Acholi Sub-region in particular.
The duo were speaking as the Guests of honour during the graduation ceremony of at least 133 former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) returnees at the OPM in Gulu City recently. Dr. Omona explained that having peace does not necessarily transform into prosperity and wealth creation.
The Minister asked the Acholi people to embrace various investment avenues such as commercial agriculture, livestock farming, and entrepreneurial ventures to develop their domestic(home) incomes.
“We want every household to have something small for investment that brings money daily. You can start small by selling some commodity or selling fruits within your compound”, said Omona.
Betty Aol Ocan, the Woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Gulu City asked the government to increase the number of skills acquisition schools/institutions in the sub/region to cater for youth unemployment that is also contributing towards widespread poverty.
Aol also proposed that it would be good to think of a special Ministry for Acholi Sub-region to handle the “Acholi Problem/Questions” that is contributing to acute poverty, now that the sub-region is being rated the poorest.
Similarly, Rwot David Onen Acana II, the Acholi Paramount Chief has also directly asked the Acholi people to avoid poverty related sentiments that they are the poorest and stick to it, but rather embrace hard work in form utilization of the availability of the vast arable land for social transformation.
Rwot Acana advised that prosperity comes to those who venture in private enterprises that the Acholi society has not taken advantage of.
The Acholi Paramount Chief coached the Acholi to change their farming methods from subsistence to commercial through adopting new farming ideas- including changing seed varieties.
Martin Okumu, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ker Kwaro Acoli(the Acholi Cultural Institution said that poverty is one of the things that should not be hard in the Acholi sub-region based on the geographical location that is very suitable for agriculture.
Okumu revealed that the chiefdom’s record shows that Acoli owns 16% of the total arable land in Uganda, which land could be used for commercial agricultural production for poverty alleviation.
“It is sad that we have been labelled several times as the poorest in the country by up to 78% margin. This is ridiculous, considering the vast land resources we have. What is the problem?” asked Okumu.
He added that apparently Ker Kwaro Acholi under the stewardship of the Paramount Chief (King) Rwot Acana II, they are doing a routine tour of all the chiefdoms under the Acholi Cultural Institution to sensitize the Acoli subject on the need to eradicate pokery through hard work.
On the same note, Major General Felix Bosizoori, the Fourth(4th) Division Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) Army Commander stated that whereas land is in abundance in Acholi, the people are failing to utilize it in fighting poverty.
Major Gen. Busizoori cited land conflict as one of the major factors failing production on land as many individuals are still involved in serious conflicts over land, hence hindering their efforts to use it.
He however complemented institutions and individuals who are putting their land to use through various practices including coffee growing and other fruit, crop production in addition to livestock rearing.
Embrace Livestock Framing
As one of the unique ways of tackling poverty, Dr.Omona admonished the Acholi and northern people to invest in livestock farming.
According to Omona, rearing animals like cattle, goats, or sheep is more profitable than crop growing because animal production has much more expensive products compared to agricultural crops.
“You are struggling to pay your child’s school fees because you do not have cows. If you have, you can sell only one bull, and it will be enough to clear your child’s school fees for a whole term. How much millet/sorghum do you sell to get that kind of money?”, asked Omona.
The Minister added that by around 1984/85, north and east (North-east) sub/region(s) had the highest number of livestock especially cattle, but unfortunately, it was lost during the war. He said it is the locals’ responsibility to re-stock them.
Plan to Improve Livestock Farming in Northern Uganda
During the Regional Parliament in Gulu City in August last year, the state minister for northern Uganda had revealed that the government was working on promoting livestock farming in northern Uganda.
This was after Faith Nakut(Honorable), the MP of Napak district, had moved a motion seeking an increase in resource allocation to enhance livestock farming in northern Uganda to promote Socio-economic Transformation.
While chairing the session, Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among mentioned that the government had so far secured a total of UD$ 355 million to achieve that purpose.
Prepare for NUSAF IV
Dr. Omona has also made a call to the Acoli people and northern Uganda to embrace the coming of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund Four(NUSAF IV) that the government is planning to enroll in the next financial year-2025/2026.
Omona announced on April 26, 2026 that the government is ready to reinstate NUSAF Iv Project in the 2025/2026 financial year.
According to Dr.Omana, whereas the government did not have plans to bring back NUSAF Project to northern Uganda, it saw the need of the people of the region and has resolved to enroll NUSAF IV to supplement other government projects in fighting poverty.
“We are now preparing a paper to present to the cabinet to allow for lobbying of funds for NUSAF IV. By July this year, the project would have kicked-off, but if it delays, it will not be too late than this year”, remarked Omona.
Omona explained that the enrollment of the program came about when in 2022 cabinet under the leadership of the Prime Minister proposed the commencement of NUSAF IV that was approved by the National Planning Authority (NPA).
He however added that NUSAF IV shall not only concentrate in northern Uganda only, but also other regions that also experienced the spill over of wars including Bukedea, Teso, Bunyoro,Busoga, and Karamoja where focus this time shall be on Wealth creation projects as opposed to the previous that concentrated on industrial development.
Betty Aol Ocan(Honorable), the Gulu City Member of Parliament supported the government’s intention to bring back NUSAF IV saying it would help extend developmental avenues for the people who missed or never benefited from such government programs, if managed well.
Hon. Aol however said that the most important is to first integrate those who have been victims of war, especially young adults who have lost their ancestral origins due to the war to address the acute poverty that is apparently looming.
“NUSAF IV should be used to address the biting poverty burden, especially amongst the ‘young street dwellers’ commonly known locally as the “Aguu” who are roaming the streets Gulu, Lira, Arua and Kitgum Municipal” said Aol.
Aol added that additional skills training centers have to be added in the region, because apparently each of the sub-regions has only one presidential Industrial hub each, which is not enough for youths who need skilling for employment opportunities.
In April 2023, the Parliament of Uganda had announced the instatement of US$ 290 million NUSAF IV Program with the plan to support 31 million beneficiaries, with at least 4064 parishes, and 667,000 households, creating 21,000 self-employed enterprises.
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