MPs question gov’t rice growing ban in Bukedi

Newly sworn-in MPs from the Bukedi sub-region have criticised government restrictions on wetland rice growing and fishing, arguing that the measures are being enforced without viable alternative sources of income for affected communities.

The legislators, drawn from Butebo, Bunyole East, Tororo North, Samia Bugwe North, Namayingo South, Kabweri, Butaleja and Kibuku constituencies, said their districts remain among the poorest in eastern Uganda and require coordinated government intervention to address entrenched poverty.

Butebo MP Fred Mudukoi Oduchu said the ban on wetland rice growing had left many households economically stranded.

“Butebo has relied on rice for both food and income, but with government banning wetland rice growing to protect the environment, residents need support to switch to alternatives,” Oduchu said.

He urged government to increase investment in fish farming, poultry, coffee and cocoa projects as alternative livelihoods, warning against neglecting the region after enforcing environmental restrictions.

“It will not be right for government to say ‘no sleep’ when other sub-regions are left with nothing to turn to after chasing them out of rice growing,” he said.

Oduchu also called for tougher action against corruption, arguing that public funds intended for poverty alleviation are often lost before reaching beneficiaries.

Bunyole East MP Ronald Mutego Hangujja said government should prioritise establishing skilling centres and promoting coffee and cocoa growing as sustainable replacements for rice farming.

Kabweri MP Dr Patrick Wakida said he intends to use the Bukedi Strategic Plan to follow up on the state of schools, health centres and other public services in the region.

Wakida also called for increased funding for coffee, cocoa and poultry projects and urged government to establish factories in Bukedi to create jobs and add value to agricultural produce.

Namayingo South MP Willy Ouma said restrictions on fishing activities had equally affected household incomes, leaving many families struggling to survive.

Ouma proposed regulated fishing seasons to allow fishermen harvest mature fish while protecting aquatic resources. He also raised concern over overcrowded classrooms and low agricultural funding, saying both continue to trap communities in poverty.

Tororo North MP Simon Nicholas Owino described poverty in the area as “a jigger in the feet” of the people, saying he would mobilise communities to embrace perennial crops and irrigation farming. He also criticised the lack of electricity infrastructure in the constituency.

Butaleja MP Sarah Annet Logose said teenage pregnancies, education and healthcare remain among the most urgent challenges facing the district.

“Teenage pregnancies are high in Butaleja,” she said. “I will work with parents, teachers and religious leaders to sensitise the people on how this has become a big problem and its impact.”

Kibuku MP Sylvia Katooko Damba, who recently unseated a long-serving minister, said the district lacks a vocational school and that its only secondary school is in a dilapidated state.

“Girl child education is in a worrying state,” she said.

Katooko pledged to lobby for improved education infrastructure and said she intends to champion girl-child empowerment in the district.

With only about 25 per cent of Kibuku consisting of dry land, Katooko warned that livelihoods in the district had become increasingly vulnerable following evictions from wetlands.

The legislators said they intend to work collectively to lobby for more funding and development programmes aimed at lifting Bukedi residents out of poverty.

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