Crowds pulled by the NRM candidate
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I In an effort to redress the historical loss of livestock and wealth suffered by families during the insurgencies that ravaged Northern Uganda for decades, President Yoweri Museveni has promised to give special consideration to Acholi under the new format of the cattle compensation program.
He said the new format will soon be rolled out by the Government across the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions.
Addressing thousands of supporters today during a campaign rally at Opit Primary School playgrounds in Omoro Town Council, Omoro District, Museveni, who is also the NRM presidential candidate, said the government had reviewed the previous cattle compensation framework and agreed to adopt a fairer and more transparent approach that guarantees inclusivity for all affected households.
“When the delegation of Acholi came, they said Acholi suffered the most and longest period during the insurgencies, and therefore, in addition to the 5 cows per household, we should also deal with the genuine claimants who lost so much,” the President said.
“I’m therefore glad we have agreed on the minimum of five cows in the whole area, and the Cabinet will also study the idea of variation for the Acholi area,” Museveni said.
The President explained that while the government had already spent Shs 159 billion on compensation claims across the three regions, many of the beneficiaries were questionable, and the process lacked transparency.
“The cattle in this area were destroyed by wars, and we tried to restock, but some other players opened up a case in the courts of law against the government. Because I never like wars, I decided to discuss with them, and they started getting money from the government to pay their clients. Up to 159 billion shillings was spent in that exercise,” he said.
“But where is this money going? I started checking and discovered theft and other irregularities in the payment model. The majority of the homesteads were left out.”
The President revealed that after consultations with leaders from Teso, Acholi, and Lango, it was agreed that every homestead should receive five cows under a harmonized model to ensure equitable distribution.
According to government statistics, 4,836 claimants in the Acholi sub-region have so far been compensated, including 583 claimants in Omoro District who received Shs. 5.6 billion.
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