People dying of hunger in Uganda are idiots, says foreign affairs minister Okello Oryem
According to the minister, “It is a real idiot who can die of hunger in Uganda. Those are idiots because there’s enough food in Uganda. If you work hard there is land in Uganda, in spite climate change,”
The minister of foreign affairs Okello Oryem has shocked Ugandans after saying that people dying of hunger in he country are idiots, defending his statement with proof that there is enough food, land and the right climate for any one working hard to survive.
Okello Oryem said this during an interview with NTV at his home in Bugoloobi, while discussing whether Uganda’s NAM/G77+ China expectations had been realized.
According to the minister, “It is a real idiot who can die of hunger in Uganda. Those are idiots because there’s enough food in Uganda. If you work hard there is land in Uganda, in spite climate change,”
During the interview Oryem explained that if one makes double effort and they make sure they go out in the morning, tilt their land and plant the seeds as well as maintain their plantation, there’s no way they will fail to get food.
It should however be noted that according to the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) report 2022, the hunger in the region of Karamoja as cited, was as a result of long dry spells that led to acute famine, killing at least 2,207 people.
The report was also littered with hundreds of deaths registered in Karamoja sub region due to starvation and hunger-associated illness in 2022.
At 1,676 deaths, Kotido district registered the highest number of starvation and hunger related deaths, followed by Kaabong at 225 deaths, 166 deaths were registered in Moroto while Napak hunger death toll stood at 135 deaths in 2022. Only eight deaths were recorded in Karenga district.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and Acute Food Insecurity (AFI), reported that 41 per cent of the population in Karamoja were facing high levels of food insecurity between March and July 2022.
“The long dry spell in the region was partly due to state failure to anticipate, reduce and rapidly respond to disaster risks. Climate change is a grave threat to people worldwide if the government fails to take reasonable and rational measures to safeguard against it,” the report further stated.
