Political instability and food security in Uganda: a case study of Ogur sub county, Lira district
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Date
2009-08
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Kampala International University, College of Education, Open and Distance Learning
Abstract
Although various attempts were being made by government and Nongovernmental organization to stop political instability in order to improve on food security in Northern Uganda, ensuring enough food for the people still remained the biggest challenge posed by political instability. There was a total breakdown of the agricultural production infrastructure in the war-affected areas. The people had resorted to surviving on food handouts from international relief agencies. This had greatly compromised the people's assurance of food.
The main objective of the study was to examine the impact of political instability on food security and its interceding consequences in rural areas, more especially among households affected by political instability.
To address the above issue 70 respondents were investigated. These included 30 men and 40 women who were used for the purpose of the study. The research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. The choice of both qualitative methods was dependent on the nature of the research that required the use of both simple random sampling techniques and purposive sampling methods of data collection respectively. The methods were used to get the magnitude of research problem. Quantitative and qualitative methods established the extent to which political instability affected food security.
The study findings showed that political instability has had a negative impact on food security in Uganda, especially in Ogur Sub-county where there was strong evidence of food insecurity. The sustainability of the people's livelihood was in question if no urgent remedial actions were taken. The affected households were not only faced with insecurity but also malnutrition had compromised the economic growth and development in the area.
The study's main recommendation was tl1at the government of Uganda should declare politically disturbed areas emergency zones as had been recommended by the parliament and the international community. For long, insecurity has not only destroyed food security framework within communities as reflected in Ogur but the entire social development infrastructure. May be, the government should also start picking up the bill of feeding these people in the camps as a way of forcing it to look for a speedy end to the civil strife.
But on the whole, the situation in the war ravaged Northern Uganda needs a new approach. It was evident that the government and international community efforts were yielding poor fruits. Rebels had continued to wreck havoc on civilian population and the region had become to stand still in terms of development. The study recommended that new nonmilitary solutions to the crisis be pursued, even if it meant dining on the same table with the invaders who were not supporting economic diversity and development in the northern part of Uganda.
Description
A Research Report Submitted to the Institute of Open and Distance Learning in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of Bachelors of Education Special Needs Education of Kampala International University
Keywords
Political instability, Food security, Uganda, Ogur sub county, Lira district