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Bad roads affect prices of goods in Karamoja
Traders share a plate of cassava as they wait for help to save their stuck vehicle on Nakapiripirit-Mbale Road on Tuesday. Karamoja Sub-region has been receiving heavy rain for the last one month, making traders unable to cross to Kapchorwa, Sironko, Mbale and Soroti, which are the major towns supplying food to the area. Photo by Steven Ariong
What you need to know:
Cut-off roads: Moroto-Mbale Road via Nakapiripirit was cut off because of the flooded Pian-Upe Game Reserve, Moroto-Kotido because of the flooded Lopei Bridge while Kotido-Soroti via Amuria is on standby due to the flooded Obalanga Bridge.
Commodity prices in Karamoja Sub-region have doubled in the last one month as many access roads to the sub-region continue being washed away by the current heavy rain.
The rain has affected connections to areas such as Kapchorwa, Sironko, Mbale and Soroti, which are the major towns supplying food items to the region.
In Moroto Town, a bunch of bananas three months ago was sold at Shs10,000 but is currently selling at Shs30,000, from Shs27,000 to Shs45,000 in Kotido while in Abim it has risen from Shs38,000 to Shs47,000.
Sugar in Moroto shot up from Shs5,000 per kilogramme to Shs7,000, from Shs5,500 to Shs7,500 in Kotido while in Abim it rose from 5,000 to Shs5,500.
Maize flour in Moroto which was sold at Shs3,000 per kilogramme before is currently at Shs3,500, in all the other districts, apart from Kaabong where it is at Shs4,000.
Rice in Moroto was at Shs2,800 but is currently at Shs5,000, including Kotido and Abim and it is only in Kaabong where it is being sold at Shs6,000.
Ms Hajat Nambooze, a businesswoman in Moroto, blamed the high prices on the bad state of roads.
“Bringing the commodities from Mbale to Karamoja has become very expensive because we pay too much money in transportation and also buying the commodities yet you are not sure whether they will reach the right destination,” Ms Nambooze said.
Robert Tukei said getting Matooke has become difficult because the people who used to cultivate it in Mbale and Sironko have been chased away from Mt Elgon by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Kotido LC5 Chairperson Calisto Adome Lokwi said with the current food prices, many households are going to suffer from malnutrition.
