WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

3 million slip into poverty as Covid-19 strikes economy

Published

4 years ago

October 5, 2020

Traders sit outside shopping arcades that were closed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in March. The Covid-19 disruption on economy is pushing 3.1 million Ugandans into poverty. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA

The Covid-19 disruption on the economy is pushing 3.1 million Ugandans into poverty, the United Nations has warned in a report on socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Uganda.
The “Socio-economic impact of Covid-19 in Uganda” which was released yesterday in Kampala during a high-level discussion on implementation of sustainable development goals, shows that the lockdown and containment measures made 1.9 million non-poor to become insecure and another 1.9 million insecure individuals become poor.
“The increase in poverty among wage earners could be felt most in eastern and northern regions, due to many households already highly vulnerable to poverty in this regions,” the report reads in part.

The latest report on poverty comes just days after Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) and Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Sports, and Ministry of Local Government held a high-level policy dialogue on reopening uganda’s economy this week and asked authorities to focus on the wellbeing of the economy.

According to the report, poverty rate in eastern region is projected to shoot from 28.8 per cent to 53.3 per cent, northern region will shift from 30.3 per cent to 44.8 per cent, western region will experience a rise from 13.2 per cent to 31.7 per cent and central region will experience a rise from 8.9 per cent to 18.8 per cent, according to the report.

“If the pandemic is not contained in the short term and the social distancing measures remains in place, the increase in unemployment is expected to increase the poverty rate among wage earners from 17 per cent to 32.7 per cent,” the report stated.
The UN recommended: “Cautious borrowing could cushion the economy and improve industry, innovation, and infrastructure, reduce inequality and improve the outlook for zero hunger.”
The resident coordinator of the UN, Ms Rosa Malango, asked government to address the problem of corruption and poor implementation of projects that has left the population in poverty.

Ms Malango said the UN is now engaging private sector players to increase the impact of its poverty eradication programme at grass roots.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us why we must not relax; there will be no post-Covid-19 time. We need to engage our partners on the discussion around corruption and integrity to put the interest of people at grassroots and other vulnerable population at the centre stage,” she said during the conference.

“We are not doing business as usual. We are having engagements with private sector in order to reach the 68 per cent of Ugandans who are in informal economy into formal economy. The UN has in recent time launched a series of partnerships with JUMIA, ABSA bank Safe Boda. We are also partnering with Stanbic bank to teach savings groups in village financial literacy,” she said.
Ms Malango said they have also partnered with government in the Shs715 billion agro-industrialisation for local development initiative in the Rwenzori Sub-region to address the problem of poverty.

On addressing the poverty and unemployment among youth, the UN Uganda boss said they have also launched a ‘one million sustainable development goal solutions’ from youth in Uganda innovation challenge to support youth startups that are impacting communities and creating jobs. She said more than 500 young people have so far expressed interest.
“During the past five years of the implementation of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) from 2016-2020, the UN in Uganda has contributed to several achievements, including in the area of governance with strengthening the electoral processes and human capital development,” she said.

Through the interventions by UN, learning literacy and numeracy increased at primary (P.6) from 38 per cent to 52 per cent, among other achievements, according to Malango.
“The subsequent cooperation framework with government of Uganda and other development partners will focus on empowering youths and skills development, gender equality climate change mitigation among others,” she said.

Human capital development
Dr Arthur Bainomugisha, the executive director of ACODE, said it is important for government to ensure the education sector that is central in human capital development has proper management.
“A lot of money has been borrowed in the name of Covid-19 and we want to know how much it is and how it was used. We must never allow entrepreneurs of Covid-19 to thrive while other people are thrown by the pandemic into poverty,” he said.

However, Mr Julius Mukunda, the executive director of CSBAG, said it is important the government focuses investment on real economy such as agriculture that the largest number of the population depend on.
Ms Mary Karooro Okurut, the minister in Charge of General Duties at the Office of the Prime Minister, said government is committed to ensuring equitable development for all Ugandans.
She said government has integrated the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the third National Development Plan. The SDGs focus on inclusive development.

**Daily Monitor

Related Topics:covid 19 livelihood uganda poverty

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Uganda: Land-grab victim communities will join counterparts in commemorating the 2024 International Day of Struggle Against Industrial Plantations.

Published

19 hours ago

September 19, 2024

witnessradio.org

By Witness Radio team.

On September 21, 2024, land-grabs communities under their group, the Informal Alliance for communities affected by irresponsible land-based investments in Uganda for the first will join fellow victims in commemorating the International Day of Struggle Against Industrial Plantations, highlighting the growing threat posed by large-scale monoculture plantations.

These industrial plantations have led to the forced eviction of millions of people across Uganda, displacing indigenous communities and stripping them of their land rights and livelihoods. Driven by multinational companies and government-backed investors, with the support of government and private security entities, these evictions prioritize profits over people.

Among the many Ugandan communities still suffering the devastating impact of monoculture plantations are over 30,000 people who were violently displaced from the Namwasa and Luwunga forest reserves between 2006 and 2010 to make way for the New Forests Company’s pine and eucalyptus plantations. In addition, thousands of local and indigenous communities were illegally evicted to make way for palm oil plantations in Kalangala district. Nearly 4,000 people had their land grabbed by the Formosa tree planting company in the Mubende district, and over 35,000 were displaced in Kiryandongo to make way for industrial agriculture to grow maize, soybean, and sugarcane plantations, among others. These and other affected communities united and formed the Informal Alliance for Victims affected by irresponsible land-based investments to defend their rights in early 2019.

The International Day of Struggle Against Industrial Plantations was first celebrated on September 21, 2004, during a community network meeting fighting against industrial tree plantations in Brazil. Since then, it has become a day when organizations, communities, and movements worldwide come together to celebrate resistance and raise their voices, demanding an end to the relentless expansion of industrial tree plantations.

In Uganda, on Saturday, September 21, the 2024 commemoration will start with a radio program in a local dilect (Luganda) purposely to highlight weird experiences faced by communities displaced by large-scale monoculture plantations, struggles for justice, and holding companies and financiers accountable. A one-hour radio program starting at 10 a.m. EAT will feature leaders of the loose alliance. Listen to the radio program on Witness Radio platforms on the website www.witnessradio.org or download the Witness Radio App on playstore.

Later, land-grab victims in Uganda will join their colleagues from Africa and other countries around the globe in a webinar meeting aimed at fostering organizations’ and rural communities’ connection across member countries and communities to build confidence, share experiences, strengthen our campaign to reignite hopes and forge a bond of understanding between the Informal Alliance and victim communities shattered by destructive plantations as well as deterring future plantations expansion.

The Webinar will start at 3PM EAT and will be aired live on Witness Radio platforms on the website www.witnessradio.org or download the Witness Radio App on playstore.

Please note: Both the radio show and Webinar will be live on Witness Radio on www.witnessradio.org or download the witness radio app on playstore to listen live.

WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Uganda: CSOs claim Agilis Partners forcibly evicting local communities to pave way for agribusiness; company did not respond

Published

2 months ago

July 31, 2024

witnessradio.org

Witness Radio and its partners have alleged that thousands of people from local and Indigenous communities have been forcefully evicted from their land to make way for Agilis Partners Limited’s large-scale farming operations, in violation of international human rights law.

They have raised concerns about severe human rights abuses including forced evictions and lack of prompt, fair, and adequate compensation; violations of Indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior, and informed consent; abduction, arrest, torture, and judicial harassment of human rights defenders, and alleged sexual violence against women and girls, as well as other negative social and environmental impacts.

Witness Radio and its partners representing PAPs have written to Agilis Partners on several occasions seeking a dialogue between the company and people who have been harmed however, the company has not responded to their communications.

In a letter to Agilis Partners in June 2024, 36 civil society organizations called on Agilis Partners and its financial backers to take immediate action to stop the human rights abuses and harassment committed against community members, engage in dialogue with the communities, and restore the lands to the people that have been displaced.

We invited Agilis Partners to respond to the letter, the company did not respond.

Company Responses

Agilis Partners. No Response.

Source: business-humanrights.org

DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Breaking: Witness Radio and Partners to Launch Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy Project Tomorrow.

Published

7 months ago

February 21, 2024

witnessradio.org

By Witness Radio Team.

Witness Radio, in collaboration with Dan Church Aid (DCA) and the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD), is set to launch the Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda (MDA-HRU) project tomorrow, 22^nd February 2024, at Kabalega Resort Hotel in Hoima District.

The project, funded by the European Union, aims to promote the protection and respect for human rights, and enable access to remedy where violations occur especially in the Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments (LBIs) through improved documentation, and evidence-based advocacy.

The three-year project, which commenced in October 2023, focuses its activities in the Mid-Western sub-region, covering Bulisa, Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibale, and Mubende districts, and Karamoja sub-region, covering Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Nabilatuk, Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, and Karenga districts.

The project targets individuals and groups at high risk of human rights violations, including Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs). It also engages government duty bearers such as policymakers and implementers in relevant ministries and local governments, recognizing their crucial role in securing land and environmental rights. Additionally, the project involves officials from institutional duty bearers including the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Equal Opportunities Commission, and courts, among others.

Representatives from the international community, faith leaders, and business actors are also included in the project’s scope, particularly those involved in land-based investments (LBIs) impacting the environment.

The project was initially launched in Moroto for the Karamoja region on the 19^th of this month with the leadership of the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD).

According to the project implementors, the action is organized into four activity packages aimed at; enhancing the capacity and skills of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) in monitoring, documentation, reporting (MDR), and protection, establishing and reinforcing reporting and documentation mechanisms for advocacy and demand for corporate and government accountability; providing response and support to HRDs and marginalized communities; and lastly facilitating collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagements that link local and national issues to national and international frameworks and spaces.