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By Timothy Eodu & Lokeris Moses
As the world prepares to mark the 16 Days of activism, a section of Moroto residents are raising eyebrows over increasing gender based violence, especially against women and girls. They say this is due to uncontrolled consumption of alcohol and poverty that continues to ravage the population.
Karamoja being a region rich in minerals is grappling with poverty due to alcohol and other factors. According to a May 2025 Uganda Bureau of Statistics-UBOS report, the poverty rate in the sub-region stands at 74.2% indicating that almost 3 quarters of its population lives below the national poverty line.
Selina Auma, the Director of Programs at Karamoja Women Umbrella Organisation-KAWUO urged that women in Karamoja are disproportionately affected by poverty and gender-based violence-(GBV). She called for women-focused interventions, emphasizing that investing in women is not charity but smart economics.
Auma stated that women are a power house that drives development in Karamoja, and they deserve an increased and ring-fenced funding for GBV prevention, maternal health, and women’s livelihood support, institutionalization of gender-responsive budgeting at district and national levels and active and meaningful participation of women in all stages of the budget cycle.
Zackary Lomokol, the Local Council 1 Chairperson of Katamukono-bazaar village in Moroto municipality, highlighted that alcohol consumption in his village is too high and is leading to poverty in families since residents don’t care sustainable use of household income which they channel most times to alcohol consumption. He said it is this misuse by both men and women that result in violence.
Lomokol also added that of recent, two youth in his village died due to relating effects of alcohol consumption, with many in the hospital. He therefore called on leaders and stakeholders to sensitize the communities on the dangers of alcohol and how it leads to poverty, violence or death in households.
Angel Nangiro a resident of Kambizi Village, Moroto district who is also a survivor of gender based violence relating it with alcohol consumption narrates her ordeal that let her separate with a man who produced with her three children.
She also urged other women who drink alcohol to reduce its consumption, since most women drink and forget their home affairs.
Michael Lokee, a resident of Kakoliye village, attributes alcoholism as the greatest cause of physical violence at homes, with mostly women affected when men drink and go home short-tempered, hence fighting over petty issues.
During a recent review of quarter one incident reports by Moroto district local government and partners, it was stated that domestic violence remains a challenge, being driven by poverty and uncontrolled alcohol consumption in families.
And at the just concluded Karamoja Cultural Event in Nakapiripirit, women challenged elders to eradicate certain cultural practices that endanger them like forced marriages or inheritance, too many household chores among others.
In their call to action, women urged government to boost them economically so that they can be able to fend for themselves but also as a means to reduce violence as women will also contribute greatly to household developments.
SP Michael Longole, the mount Moroto Regional Police Spokesperson, stated that alcoholism is the greatest cause of all types of violence and also cattle raids in Karamoja.
He said since 2021, they have impounded 8962 jerricans of waragi, and through court order, they were able to destroy 8676 of them.
According to a 2023 study by Makerere University, 57.91% of individuals in Karamoja region experienced GBV. The factors found to be associated with GBV were the type of residence, marital status, district of residence, education and level of income.
The study concluded that socio-cultural, economic and related factors influence gender based among women. It recommended that institutions should facilitate a policy dialogue on the social, health and economic consequences of Gender Based Violence on sustainable development of society as a whole.
