This piece is a continuation of my earlier work, published on October 10, 2025 in Watchdog, titled “Unless the cheap sale of Karamoja’s sorghum stops, hunger and misery will never end.”
That publication was grounded in Simon Levine’s (2010) study, which posed the central question: “What to do about Karamoja?” Levine, in his food security analysis, observed that local communities often capitalize on good harvests by selling sorghum cheaply to earn immediate household income.
However, from the Department for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis at the Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition, we argue that during periods of bumper sorghum harvests, commercial sales must be regulated by local authorities across the sub-region.
Critics may argue that sorghum is a primary source of income for the Karamojong, asking why anyone would advocate for limiting people’s ability to sell their own produce. Yet, field evidence consistently shows that during good harvests, sorghum is sold at such drastically low prices that local authorities seem unconcerned about the long-term implications for household reserves. As Dr. Damalie Akwango noted in her 2017 doctoral research, Karamoja has faced chronic food insecurity since 1964, remaining heavily reliant on external relief aid.
If concrete policy action is not taken now, one must ask: Is Karamoja destined to depend on humanitarian aid indefinitely?
To build true climate resilience, local action must be taken to regulate sorghum sales so that families retain adequate grain stocks. The precarious situation where a minor weather shift instantly plunges communities back into aid dependence must be addressed to protect vulnerable households.
Put simply, the solutions to Karamoja’s systemic challenges must come from within Karamoja and be shaped by the people of Karamoja. The goal is not to deny communities income opportunities, but to safeguard household food security during times of abundance. Local authorities must strike a deliberate balance between immediate cash needs and the long-term necessity of preventing hunger, vulnerability, and misery. This is precisely where local governance matters most.
Dr. Ayub Mukisa writes for the Department for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis at the Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition (KACC).
The post Dr. Ayub Mukisa: In Karamoja, Regulating Sorghum Sales Is Key to Ending the Food Crisis appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.