Alcohol kills Nearly 500 in Kotido

By Richard Onapatum

Kotido, Uganda – May 2025 ‘They drink to forget. They drink because hunger gnaws at their stomachs. They drink because there is nothing else”.

In Kotido District, where poverty and drought have eroded hope, alcohol has quietly claimed 498 lives over the past 15 years, leaving children orphaned, pushing families to ruin, and forcing communities into a downward spiral of addiction and despair.

Men stumble through the streets, hollowed by addiction. Women, desperate to feed their children, have turned to brewing the very substance that destroys their homes. Hospitals overflow with patients suffering from alcohol-induced liver disease, malnutrition, and violence-related injuries.

This crisis is not a coincidence, nor is it a choice—it is a symptom of systemic failure, where alcohol has become both an escape and a weapon, silently killing Kotido’s most vulnerable.

The Smuggled Poison: How Crude Waragi Enters Kotido

Kotido’s alcohol crisis is fueled by an illicit trade, with crude waragi smuggled into Karamoja from Jinja, Mbale, Soroti, and Lira. This deadly brew, often mixed with toxic chemicals, is transported in large jerricans and sold cheaply, ensuring quick addiction and widespread devastation.

How Waragi Gets into Kotido

• Smugglers use boda boda riders to evade police checkpoints, sneaking waragi through hidden village routes.
• Some traders bribe security officials, ensuring unregulated alcohol floods local markets.
• The alcohol arrives in unmarked containers, making it difficult to trace or regulate its origin.

Deadly Consequences of Illicit Alcohol Trade

• Unregulated waragi is often contaminated, leading to mass poisoning and rapid liver failure.
• Alcohol-fueled cattle raids have increased, with Karachunas engaging in reckless violence.
• Families spend most of their income on alcohol, worsening malnutrition and poverty.

Attempts to Stop the Trade

• Police operations have led to waragi seizures, but smugglers quickly adapt, finding new routes.
• Church leaders and local authorities have joined the fight, urging communities to reject illicit alcohol.
• Calls for stricter government intervention have grown, demanding action to block waragi at its source before it reaches Kotido.

Medical Experts Sound the Alarm Over Alcohol Abuse

Healthcare workers in Karamoja warn that Kotido’s crisis is only one part of a much bigger problem affecting the entire region.

Dr. John Bosco Nsubuga, Medical Superintendent at Matany Hospital, describes the situation:

“Alcohol is now the third leading cause of deaths in Karamoja, standing at 11 percent. The number of patients admitted due to alcohol-related conditions has increased by 25 percent. We are seeing cases of acute alcoholic intoxication, domestic violence, traffic accidents, and even attempted suicide. Liver disease due to alcoholism is now one of the top three causes of death, following pneumonia and tuberculosis.”

RDC Kotido Charles Ichogor Calls for Action

Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Charles Ichogor has acknowledged the severity of Kotido’s alcohol crisis, calling for urgent intervention.

“Now that we have peace, it’s time for us to develop our livelihoods,” Ichogor stated. “Your lives should improve drastically, and we are committed to ensuring that our services are delivered efficiently and effectively.”

Ichogor has urged local leaders, law enforcement, and community members to work together in addressing the crisis, emphasizing that government programs must prioritize rehabilitation, economic empowerment, and stricter alcohol regulations.

Survivor Stories: The Human Cost of Addiction

A Mother’s Loss

At 34, Nakiru from Napupum lost her husband to alcohol-induced liver failure. Now, she struggles to feed her four children, watching helplessly as her eldest son follows the same path—drinking daily instead of going to school.

“There is no food, only alcohol. I beg him to stop, but the drinking starts in the morning,” Nakiru says, her voice breaking. “I don’t want to bury another.”

A Warrior’s Last Battle

Kodet, once a feared Karachuna from Kacheri, lost his life in a reckless cattle raid fueled by waragi. He had downed half a jerrican before leading his warriors into battle. Hours later, his body was found in a ditch, bullets cutting his life short.

“I begged him not to drink before the raid,” his younger brother recalls. “But he said, ‘I need it to fight.’ He never came home.”

These are not isolated stories—they are the echoes of Kotido’s broken families, proof that alcohol is not just killing individuals, but entire generations.

Can Kotido Be Saved? Urgent Solutions Needed

While the numbers are grim, solutions exist—but action must be immediate.

Government Crackdown on Toxic Alcohol

• Enforce strict alcohol sale regulations to remove toxic brews from circulation.
• Crackdown on illegal brewing operations, ensuring safe production methods.

Increase Access to Medical Support and Rehabilitation

• Invest in rehabilitation centers to help addicts recover.
• Provide mental health counseling for families affected by addiction.

Create Economic Alternatives to Alcohol Trade

• Fund agriculture and small business programs to divert families from alcohol-based income.
• Support women-led cooperatives offering alternative livelihoods.

Community Awareness and Cultural Leadership

• Engage religious and cultural leaders in anti-alcohol campaigns.
• Launch education programs to inform youth about alcohol-related dangers.

Kapeps Ministry Report: The Devastating Toll in Kotido

A 15-year investigation by Kapeps Ministry reveals the extent of Kotido’s alcohol crisis.

• 221 deaths in Kacheri Sub County, with victims consuming alcohol on empty stomachs, worsening the effects of poisoning.
• 162 fatalities in Kotido Municipality, including 42 women, many succumbing to liver disease and severe malnutrition.
• 132 deaths in Greater Panyangara, linked to crude waragi consumption.
• 77 Karachunas (warriors) lost their lives in violent cattle raids, reportedly driven by alcohol-fueled aggression.

Alcohol-Related Starvation and Hospital Admissions

• Many victims died with no food in their system, relying only on alcohol for sustenance.
• Matany Hospital overwhelmed with liver disease, alcohol poisoning, and psychiatric admissions.

John Bosco Akore, founding member of Kapeps Ministry, urges urgent action.

“If local leaders fail to act now, Kotido will continue losing lives at an unbearable rate. Alcohol is taking everything—families, livelihoods, dignity. We must treat this as the crisis it is.”

The Time for Talk Is Over. Action Must Begin Now

Kotido’s alcohol epidemic is a crisis that demands immediate intervention—not just government response, but a cultural shift in Karamoja’s future.

The question is no longer ‘how did we get here?’ but ‘what will be done to stop this?’

Kotido cannot afford to lose another 498 lives. Will leaders act now, or will Karamoja continue to drown in addiction?

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