Civil society organizations (CSOs) have warned that Karamoja will continue to suffer deep-rooted poverty unless the government boosts funding for the region and addresses long-standing inequalities.
At a press briefing in Moroto, a coalition of CSOs—including Restless Development, Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), Riamiriam, Karamoja Herders of the Horn, and Karamoja Women Umbrella Organization (KAWUO)—highlighted that poverty levels in Karamoja remain above 70 percent due to historical marginalization and underfunding.
The groups emphasized that women in Karamoja are particularly vulnerable, facing entrenched discrimination that exacerbates poverty.
They called on the government to take urgent measures to improve education, recruit more teachers, invest in gender equity, and ring-fence funds for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention.
Celine Auma, Director of Programs at KAWUO, stressed the importance of including women in planning processes. “It is important to have women’s voices in the planning process to ensure inclusivity,” she said.
Jonas Mbabazi, project manager at ACODE, urged the government to prioritize Karamoja in the 2026/2027 financial year.
“We urge government to make the financial year 2026/2027 the year of equity by increasing budget allocations for Karamoja,” he said.
Henry Napokoli, Programme Coordinator at Restless Development, noted that youth unemployment is a major driver of poverty in the region.
“The rate of unemployment among the Karamoja youth is skyrocketing, yet youth make up the largest portion of the population at over 60 percent,” he said, adding that lack of skills limits opportunities for young people.
The CSOs also called for gender-responsive budgeting and greater inclusion of women at every stage of the budgeting process, as well as measures to unlock the potential of youth for peace and economic growth.
“Without increased representation of women and youth voices in decision-making spaces, Karamoja risks remaining on the margins of national development,” warned Richard Ayesigwa, a research fellow at ACODE.
The organizations said their appeal aims to ensure that Karamoja receives fair and sustained support, lifting communities out of poverty ahead of the next national budget cycle.