Gulu, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has ordered a one-month audit and verification of all cattle compensation beneficiaries in Northern Uganda, warning that government will adopt a new “flat empowerment” model to benefit all households if irregularities persist.
Speaking on Monday, August 18, during a meeting with Acholi leaders in Gulu District, the President said the audit would target both the 4,000 already paid claimants and the 12,000 verified but unpaid, with their names and payments published in every sub-county for public scrutiny.
“Let us all see the 4,000 who were paid in Acholi and how much they were paid, and also the 12,000 who are not yet paid but approved, so that we do mass verification. If the lists are fake, the public will help us act,” Mr Museveni said.
He noted that government has already spent Shs150 billion compensating 28,000 beneficiaries, but the process has been plagued by corruption and manipulation, with fresh lists of 12,000 new claimants creating what he described as an “endless cycle.”
Mr Museveni said the payments should not be viewed as compensation but as a rehabilitation scheme following wars that devastated Northern Uganda, arguing that war losses are not quantifiable.
“In other parts of the world, you cannot compensate for war or natural disasters like earthquakes,” he remarked.
The President also reiterated his push for full implementation of free education in government schools, blaming corrupt actors for blocking Universal Primary Education (UPE). “Please, in the coming term, let’s concentrate on providing free education in government schools for the children. We should prioritize our budgeting,” he said.
Museveni further cautioned Acholi leaders against “ideologically bankrupt” politicians who thrive on sectarianism, warning that tribal and religious politics threaten national unity.
Leaders Speak Out
Justice Minister Norbert Mao, himself an Acholi, admitted the subregion had suffered due to messy politics and insecurity, which eroded cattle wealth and left communities dependent on food aid.
Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, praised the President’s message of wealth creation, while Kilak North MP, Anthony Akol, thanked Museveni for peace restoration and poverty alleviation programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
Akol, however, raised concerns about Balaalo herdsmen defying Executive Orders on illegal grazing and charcoal trade.
Rwot David Onen Acana II, the Paramount Chief of Acholi, said Shs3.8 trillion has been pumped into Northern Uganda’s rehabilitation over the years but with limited impact due to corruption, weak governance, and poor absorption of funds. He nonetheless pledged continued mobilisation of communities to embrace government poverty eradication programs.
Background
The government launched the cattle compensation scheme in 2022 to pay families in Acholi, Lango, and Teso whose livestock was lost during the 1970s insurgencies and the Lord’s Resistance Army war. While 28,000 claimants have so far been paid, about 16,000 await payment under the next budget.
Museveni’s one-month ultimatum is expected to provide clarity on the ballooning claims and guide whether the government shifts to a flat rehabilitation plan for all households across Northern Uganda.
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