New data shows that one in six Ugandans lives below the poverty line today. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics found that 7.3 million people earn less than $1 daily. Rural areas face much harder times, with 5.3 million poor people compared to 1.7 million in cities. The Karamoja region suffers most, with almost a million residents struggling for basic needs. The capital Kampala sees the least poverty nationwide.
Children bear heavy burdens, as 4.2 million youngsters grow up poor across the country. Girl children account for more than 900,000 of these numbers, while boys make up about 738,000 of the poor youth. Rural areas hold twice as many poor children as urban places, which worries experts about future development prospects.
Uganda has...