By Milton Olupot and Josephine Maseruka

MPS from Teso suspended Parliament business over the ravaging famine in the area, said to have killed seven people with hundreds on the verge of death.

The MPs under their organisation, Teso Parliamentary Group, chaired by Patrick Amuriat (FDC), yesterday announced they would indefinitely stay away from Parliament beginning Monday 13.

“This will give us time to associate with our suffering people and to knock on the doors of those who we think can assist us raise assistance for the people,” he said.

Amuriat was flanked by seven other MPs from the region.

“It is useless to sit in the House because we can’t concentrate on any business when our people cannot survive another day,” he added.

Amuriat said the famine alarm bells were sounded over two months ago but no relief food has been provided by the Government.

“We are not begrudging the massive food relief going to Karamoja through Teso.

“The Government has a responsibility of keeping the Teso people alive, we are not hungry because we are lazy but because of the climatic change that has failed the crops.”

Amuriat explained that the 2007 floods which hit the region, were followed by a prolonged drought which resulted in a failed harvest.

He said some areas in Teso had not received rain in the last six months.

Amuriat showed journalists a petition signed by over 200,000 people across the Teso region, which he said would be forwarded to the Speaker of Parliament.

He said the MPs had raised sh5m for a start-up fund to buy food, adding that well-wishers could deposit money on a Barclays Bank account No. 5800430137 at City branch in Kampala.

Soroti Woman MP Alice Alaso said the food shortage was affecting other sectors like education and health.