Uganda People's Congress (UPC) President Jimmy Akena has attributed persistent child malnutrition and stunting in northern and eastern Uganda to the destruction of livestock during the country's armed conflicts, calling for renewed investment in rebuilding the rural cattle economy.
Akena said about 26 percent of Ugandan children under the age of five roughly two million children are stunted, warning that the condition permanently affects brain development, learning ability, productivity and future economic opportunities.
"Children do not create regional disparities. They inherit them," Akena said.
He argued that regional differences in child nutrition mirror disparities in livestock ownership and milk consumption, which he said stem from the destruction of cattle in conflict-affected parts of the country during the late 1980s.
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According to Akena, regions such as Lango, Acholi and Teso record the country's lowest milk consumption levels, while Ankole and western Uganda consume significantly more milk per person.
"The regions with the lowest milk consumption today are largely the same regions that suffered the greatest destruction of their productive livestock economy during the conflicts of the late 1980s," he said.
Akena said cattle were more than a source of wealth, describing them as the backbone of rural livelihoods through milk production, household income, school fees, medical care and crop cultivation.
"When cattle disappeared, communities lost much more than animals. They lost nutrition. They lost productive capacity. They lost food security. They lost income," he said.
He argued that although government rehabilitation programmes recognised the need to restore veterinary services, livestock disease control and dip tanks after the conflict, implementation was incomplete in many of the worst-affected areas.
As a result, he said, the effects continue to be reflected in poor child nutrition and regional inequalities.
Akena said he has personally undertaken the rehabilitation of livestock dip tanks in his constituency, describing the initiative as part of efforts to restore rural productivity rather than simply increasing cattle numbers.
"Repairing one dip tank will not solve Uganda's national challenge. But every functioning dip tank contributes to healthier cattle. Healthier cattle produce more milk. More milk improves child nutrition," he said.
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He urged government to treat child stunting not only as a health concern but also as an agricultural, economic and food security issue requiring coordinated national action.
