New UNBS statistics show a rise in the number of poor people in Uganda

New statistics released by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UNBS) show that there has been an increase in the number of poor people in Uganda. The report goes ahead to indicate the number as from 8 million people to 8.3 million people.

This comes up despite the numerous efforts instituted by the government to bring it down. While addressing the media about the survey, Vincent Senono a UNBS statician said the number though had not spiralled out of proportion.

“Much of the poverty levels has not changed a lot but the proportion of people who are poor between these two surveys released show that the number has risen from 8 million people to 8.3 million people. People working from hand to mouth increased from 3.3 million to 3.5 million. Senono said.

The report went ahead to show that Acholi, Bukedi and Karamoja regions registered an increase in the number of poor people. However Busoga still persists with the highest number of poor people in Uganda.

Policy analysts blame the persistence of poverty in Busoga subregion on leaders from the region. These claim that these leaders have not done enough to resolve the problem.

Dr Sarah Ssewanyana ED from the Economic Policy Research Centre at Makerere University said that leaders from the region needed to do more.

‘They say that leadership matters. Therefore leaders from Busoga need to sit back and think through on how best they can help their people and how best to change their people’s mindsets. They should start from there, affirmative programs is what the region should benefit from’, Ssewanyana said.

The survey showed that 14.5% of people from Busoga are poor followed by 10.4% from Bukedi and 10.3% from Acholi.

Mot experts have alluded the rising poverty levels especially in rural areas to the outbreak of the covid 19 pandemic.

‘Poverty has remained the same however the covid 19 pandemic has increased the poverty incidence 19% to 22%.’ Senono added.

This is a big worry to the government which has instituted a number of poverty alleviating programs but are proving a failure. Analysts added that these programs did not have a significant effect on people’s standard’s of living.

They therefore advised government to rethink it’s programs and find better ones and a better way to implement them.

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