Government, IGAD Begin Consultations on Five-Year Karamoja Livestock and Peacebuilding Programme

What the report says

The Government of Uganda, IGAD and development partners have started consultations on a proposed five-year programme for Karamoja that would combine livestock development, peacebuilding and resilience-building. According to Nile Post, the initiative, called the Integrated Livestock Development, Peacebuilding and Resilience Enhancement for Sustainable Livelihoods in Karamoja (ILPRE-Karamoja), is planned to run from January 2027 to December 2031.

The programme was presented at a national consultative workshop in Naguru, Kampala, on Friday, August 14, 2026, during discussions on the Joint Karamoja Programme. IGAD officials said the proposal builds on earlier regional efforts and was developed after consultations involving IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu, Gen Salim Saleh and guidance from the Office of the President. The work will be coordinated with Ugandan institutions including Operation Wealth Creation, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Nile Post reported that the programme will focus on five areas: improving livestock productivity, managing grazing land and water resources across borders, preventing conflict, strengthening markets and improving land governance. Officials said the approach is meant to help reduce poverty, food insecurity and dependence on aid in Karamoja, where long-running development efforts have not fully resolved economic hardship and insecurity.

The article also said the talks were linked to the broader Karamoja Regional Development Plan, approved by Cabinet in 2025, which aims to shift the region toward a more settled and commercially viable economy by 2035. Participants stressed that peace, community ownership and better coordination between security and development actors will be essential if the new programme is to succeed.