Even though Uganda’s economy has seen incredible growth, 31% of the population still lives on less than a dollar a day, and many families are forced to go to bed hungry. It seems that most of the economic benefits are being enjoyed by the minority of rich people. This growth in Uganda is spreading the gap between the rich and poor further apart, so there are still many people who don’t have the resources to sustain sufficient food for themselves and their families. In 2008, the incidence of poverty increased 2.6% in direct relation to the increase in food prices. This, no doubt, contributes to the hunger problems in Uganda. Other factors include conflict, poor governance, failed government policies and programmes, as well as others. Emerging food markets in Kenya and southern Sudan offer higher prices for agricultural produce, but low production, which together create a negative effect on food security in places where food was abundant. The solution, according to Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba of Makerere, is to produce enough food for home consumption as well as the market.
There certainly needs to be a solution to address the food issue in Kenya, and I think it should start with closing the gap between the rich and the poor. If the economy is showing significant growth, it should be distributed more equally around the country so that there won’t be people going to bed hungry while others are enjoying five course meals and luxurious homes. The article was not specific in which areas the economy was growing (other than the increasing food prices), which seems important to know because I think that once those areas are identified, more specific solutions may be created to spread the wealth around to unify Uganda and grow closer to closing the inequality gap and eradicating absolute poverty.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1043014/-/cltoibz/-/
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