State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Henry Oryem Okello, sparked controversy by referring to Ugandans dying of hunger as “idiots” in an exclusive interview with NTV Uganda. The comments come months after famine, exacerbated by climate change, poverty, and insecurity, affected parts of the country, leading to deaths in the Karamoja sub-region.
Minister Oryem, addressing the issue, stated, “Those are idiots because there is enough food in Uganda. If you work hard, there is land in Uganda, the climate is right. If you make double efforts to wake up in the morning, till your land and plant the seeds, you maintain your plantation, surely, how do you fail to get food?”
Related This statement follows President Museveni’s dismissal of disturbing famine-related images in Karamoja, asserting they do not represent the broader African continent’s situation. The Uganda Human Rights Commission had reported over 2,000 hunger-related deaths in Karamoja in 2022, with climate change, insecurity, low crop yields, and poverty cited as causes.
The minister’s comments have triggered criticism, with many questioning the government’s response to the famine and advocating for long-term solutions beyond interim aid.
