The four-month dry spell has devastated farmers, who now struggle to sustain their livelihoods.
A prolonged drought from November 2024 to March 2025 has left Katakwi District in eastern Uganda reeling, with over 1,000 livestock lost due to severe water and pasture shortages.
The four-month dry spell has devastated farmers, who now struggle to sustain their livelihoods.
Geoffrey Omolo, the Katakwi LC5 chairperson, said the district has been losing an average of three animals per day due to the crisis.
Every sub-county reports losses of between five and ten animals daily, underscoring the severity of the drought.
Omolo expressed hope that the desilting of valley dams under the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project (UCSATP), supported by the World Bank, would provide reliable water sources for livestock.
Samuel Elvis Ojula, the LC3 Chairperson of Katakwi Sub-County, described the water crisis as dire, attributing it to the siltation of the Awaya Valley Dam, which has been unusable since it was vandalised in 1964.
The sub-county, which depends on a single valley tank in Osudam to serve over 15,000 livestock farmers across 17 villages, has lost 121 animals during the drought--far exceeding the usual two-month dry spell losses.
On March 23, 2025, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) conducted a survey in Apolin Village and Ocorimongin Dam to assess the situation.
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The UCSATP, a six-year project worth Shs354 billion funded by the World Bank, aims to promote climate-smart agricultural practices and improve infrastructure to enhance resilience and productivity.
Moses Anguria, the Senior Social Development Officer for UCSATP, announced plans to desilt 300 dams and establish animal holding areas for fattening and disease management in 69 districts.
He assured stakeholders that engineers would soon visit Awaya Dam to draft Bills of Quantities (BOQs) to fast-track the project.
Meanwhile, farmers like Sam Okwi, Rose Amuda, and Robert Ibwala have raised concerns over encroachment on wetlands, particularly by Ignatius Apuda Loyola, which they say has restricted access to grazing areas.
Some herders are forced to trek up to 10 kilometres to reach Angobo wetland and Ongole Dam in Usuk Sub-County.
With 95.8% of Katakwi's population living in rural areas and heavily dependent on agriculture and livestock, the ongoing crisis threatens the district's economic backbone.
The National Livestock Census 2021 estimates that the eastern and western regions account for 23% of Uganda's 3.3 million cattle, highlighting the region's reliance on animal husbandry.
As the drought takes its toll, the UCSATP project offers hope for long-term solutions, aiming to stabilise water supply and pasture availability while improving livelihoods in Katakwi.
