The rising level of poverty among camp returnees is worrying Gulu district local authority officials.

 

The revelation comes amidst dwindling donor funding and a poor revenue base in the district as was indicated during the approval of over 130 billion shillings for a 5 year district development plan for the financial year 2012/2016 by Gulu district council.

 

64 percent of the population in Gulu live on less than US $ 1 a day, below the National poverty line, According to Uganda Poverty status report (2003).

 

Mackmot Kitara, the district Vice Chairperson for Gulu while reading the budget attribute the rising level of poverty to the  two decade war that saw the deportation of over 90 percent of the population into camps, leading to the loss of assets and income opportunities; reducing the economy of the region to rubbles.

 

"The goal of this year’s plan is to improve service delivery at return sites, poverty eradication and disaster preparedness after the over two decades insurgency," Kitara said.

 

Henry Komakech a senior 4 drop out from Gulu Municipality also blamed the brutal war and said the leaders have failed to address the burning issues that would lift people out of their misery, suffering and poverty.

 

John Charles Luwa, the Gulu district population officer noted that the northern region currently has one of the highest population growths in Uganda fuelling poverty in the region and putting strains on resources.

 

Data from the population department for Gulu show that the current population figure stands at 385,600 people with the youth representing 54.6 percent of that total.

 

The national population growth rate of Uganda is 3.2 percent while that of Gulu district is at 2.9 percent.

 

Luwa suggested that the solution lies in the community embracing family planning in order to manage a sizable family.

 

Meanwhile dependency rate stands at 4.6 percent which leads to a tendency of overworking those who work to support families.

 

Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu woman MP said that the government must do more to alleviate poverty among the returning population who are rising out of the 25 year old brutal war.

 

 "Some parents in Northern Uganda are living in absolute poverty and cannot afford decent meals a day; many are also finding it difficult to provide a better education to their children" MP Aol added.