Museveni orders audit of cattle compensation in northern Uganda

_________________

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has ordered a one-month audit and verification of all cattle compensation claimants in northern Uganda, warning against inflated and fraudulent lists that have dogged the process.

The President issued the directive while meeting leaders from the Acholi sub-region in Gulu district on Monday, August 18. He said the government must establish a transparent and uniform rehabilitation programme for all eligible beneficiaries.

“We give ourselves one month to study that,” he said, stressing that the lists of those already paid and those awaiting payment must be published in every sub-county for public scrutiny.

Museveni proposed that records of the 4,000 people paid in Acholi, as well as the 12,000 verified but unpaid claimants, be made public to enable mass verification and weed out false entries.

The cattle compensation programme was introduced in 2022 to address losses suffered during the 1970s insurgencies and the Lord’s Resistance Army war.

So far, more than 28,000 claimants across Acholi, Lango and Teso have been compensated, with 16,000 more awaiting payment. However, leaders presented yet another list of 12,000 claimants, raising questions over the integrity of the process.

The President criticised past approaches, saying they exposed communities to opportunists and corruption. He revealed that sh150 billion had already been spent, but that demands now exceed sh500 billion.

Museveni also dismissed framing the initiative as mere compensation, calling it instead a broader rehabilitation scheme. “In other parts of the world, you cannot compensate for war or for natural disasters like earthquakes,” he said.

Beyond cattle, Museveni urged Acholi leaders to support the government’s push for universal free education.

“The people blocking the future of our children are the ones refusing to implement UPE,” he said before further warning against sectarian politics. “Once you bring the politics of tribe and religion, the first casualty is the politics,” he said.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao pointed out that the Acholi had suffered disorganisation in the past due to messy politics, leading to insecurity, loss of livestock, and eventual food insecurity. He warned that flaws in the cattle compensation initiative had allowed lawyers and opportunists to exploit the process.

Northern Uganda state minister Dr Kenneth Omona praised Museveni for his wealth creation message, saying it had transformed lives across Acholi and the country.

“If there's anybody who has never heard your message, then he is underage, or he is in prison, but I'm sure even those in prison have heard your message, Your Excellency,” Omona remarked.

Kilak North MP Anthony Akol read a memorandum from Acholi leaders, commending Museveni and the NRM government for flagship programmes such as PDM and Emyooga, which have supported the fight against poverty. He also hailed the Executive Orders on the charcoal trade and Balaalo, reporting that over 19,000 head of cattle had been driven away, though some Balaalo were yet to comply.

Leaders further appealed for a holistic approach to rehabilitating war victims, requesting support for those injured during the insurgencies in addition to livestock compensation.

The paramount chief of Acholi, Rwot David Onen Acana II, told Museveni that about sh3.8 trillion had been invested in the region under the northern Uganda rehabilitation programme, but socio-economic transformation remained limited due to corruption, weak governance, and poor fund absorption.

He noted that chiefs had intensified mobilisation in all chiefdoms to boost production, curb harmful cultural practices, and promote the Acholi language. He commended government programmes like Emyooga and PDM and pledged to rally communities to use them to improve livelihoods.

“We shall support these efforts by mobilising our people to access these funds and use them well to uplift their livelihoods,” he said.