President Yoweri Museveni will on Wednesday night address the nation on the state of current affairs in the country.
His Senior press secretary Linda Nabusayi made the announcement last week , saying the national address will air on national TV and radios at 8pm.
This address comes as the country battles reports of famine, resulting from long drought and poor weather conditions, fuel crisis, increasing costs of essential commodity prices among others.
Several districts in the Karamoja sub region have registered scattered incidents of people dying from hunger due to famine.Thousands are also starving in the Karamoja area and other parts of the country after their crops dried prematurely.
The most being Kotido where 107, 700 are estimated to be starving, Napak (81,800), Kaabong (70,600), and Moroto (61,900).
On Tuesday, the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hilary Onek, flagged off 552 metric tonnes of maize flour and 238 metric tonnes of beans for distribution at the Office of Prime Minister Stores.
During plenary on Tuesday, Kilak North County MP, Akol Anthony asked that the region be declared a“disaster area” to have interventions by many people and internationally.
He also alleged that some families in Karamoja Region are exchanging their children for food.
Speaking in Parliament Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga asked the Prime Minister to explain to the house the strategy that the Government has to handle the country-wide food crisis that has been caused by the long drought. He has asked whether there is enough food in government silos.
The issue of registration of Boda boda riders has also been an issue of contention with some operators demanding that the President pronounce himself on the matter.
Last week, the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago dragged Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA and government to court over illegal registration of Boda boda riders.
Lukwago recently sued the Attorney General, Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority, and Kampala Resident City Commissioner to block the training, registration and uniforming of Boda Boda riders.
Lukwago accuses the Minister for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs and Rubaga Deputy RCC, Anderson Burora of reducing the number of Boda boda operators at specified stages and within KMP to only 7000 out of 200,000.
Meanwhile the issue of fuel is still of major concern.Members of Parliament last week dismissed a statement by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Hon . Peter Lokeris, on the status of petroleum products and high cost of fuel as unrealistic.
“While prices of all products are currently high, the focus remains on sustaining supply to allow the market to continue to determine pump prices. We expect the positive effects of the above measures will be seen in the coming days,” Lokeris said last week.
The State minister for Energy, said the government would continue supplying fuel through Kenya and Tanzania and via Lake Victoria.
Currently, the cost of a liter of fuel costs over 6000 shillings.
