🔊 Katakwi model villages thrive under livestock scheme

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The State House Poverty Alleviation Programme is registering positive results in Katakwi district, where over 2,000 goats were distributed to vulnerable farmers in three model villages a year ago.

The number has now grown to over 3,000 goats.

The beneficiary villages include Arusiakan in Ngariam County, Omagara in Toroma County, and Aketa in Usuk County. The initiative aims to combat household poverty through sustainable livestock farming.

Before receiving the goats, farmers were trained in animal husbandry and hygiene practices, crucial for the programme's success. In addition to livestock, they also received cassava cuttings and assorted seedlings to enhance food security.

Esther Akello, State House Monitoring Officer for the Eastern Region, provided the updates during the distribution of a fourth batch of 120 goats to Aketa Parish in Ongongoja Sub-county on 20 May 2025.

Under programme guidelines, each farmer receives two female goats and one male. After reproduction, beneficiaries must pass on at least one child to a non-beneficiary household.

In Aketa alone, 192 goats were given out in the first batch on April 23 2024, and over 116 kids have already been passed on.

Akello said the programme is thriving, and State House plans to further support farmers by introducing heifers.

Katakwi LCV chairperson Geoffrey Omolo praised the programme's impact, saying some farmers who started with just three or four goats now own more than 16 through breeding.

He urged beneficiaries to embrace a culture of giving and take full advantage of development opportunities.

Deputy RDC Vincent Xavior Okwii called on farmers to work hard at the household level to uplift their families and contribute to Uganda’s goal of attaining middle-income status.

Raymond Richard Odeke, coordinator for Vice President Jessica Alupo, noted that the programme's expansion depends on the commitment of current beneficiaries.

The initiative has created excitement among several groups, including youth, who see it as a path to economic empowerment.

The Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger, under which this programme operates, is part of President Yoweri Museveni’s broader campaign to eliminate poverty.

Established in 2000, the State House Poverty Alleviation Department initially served as a clearing house for presidential pledges. By 2003, it was tasked with developing wealth creation models and has since created over 12 productivity-focused initiatives.