Gulu City, Uganda: Authorities in Gulu City have halted and ordered the immediate withdrawal of controversial cattle restocking registration forms after residents raised alarm over a clause requiring beneficiaries to confirm receipt of funds not yet disbursed.
The directive was issued on Monday by Laroo-Pece Division Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Peter Banya during a meeting with Town Agents and city officials at the City Health Boardroom.
Banya instructed that all distributed forms be collected from communities and returned to the Town Clerk’s office pending further guidance.
“We have directed all Town Agents to collect the forms from the communities and submit them to the Town Clerk’s office. The process must be transparent and must not create confusion among the people,” Banya said.
The forms had already been rolled out across parishes to identify beneficiaries under the government’s cattle restocking programme. However, a declaration section requiring applicants to acknowledge receipt of funds sparked widespread concern.
Residents feared the clause could be used to deny them future payments or conceal mismanagement of funds.
“How can I sign that I have received money when I have not seen anything?” questioned Betty Acan, a resident of Pece-Laroo. “We thought maybe they want to trap us or deny us later.”
In Layibi Division, youth leader Okello James said the wording of the form had already eroded trust in the programme. “People started thinking the programme is not genuine. Others feared signing would mean the money is already eaten somewhere,” he said.
In response, Banya said city authorities would engage the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to redesign the forms and eliminate ambiguity.
“We shall engage OPM to provide a proper identification form. The current forms will only be used at the point when beneficiaries actually receive the funds,” he clarified.
Despite the suspension of the forms, officials confirmed that the selection of beneficiaries remains unchanged to avoid delays in implementation.
Each parish has already identified 21 vulnerable individuals, including elderly persons, persons with disabilities, widows, widowers, orphans, former abductees, female-headed households, and unemployed youth.
“We are not going to change the selected beneficiaries because that would delay the programme. What we are correcting is the procedure,” Banya added.
However, concerns persist beyond the forms, with some residents questioning the transparency of the selection process itself.
“Even the names that were picked, some of us don’t know how they were chosen,” said Janet Aber, a widow in Bardege-Layibi Division. “Leaders should explain clearly so people don’t feel left out.”
Local elder Otema Francis welcomed the withdrawal but urged authorities to rebuild public confidence. “Government programmes are good, but the way they are introduced matters. If people lose trust at the beginning, it becomes hard to convince them later,” he noted.
Programme Background
The cattle restocking initiative is part of a wider Shs80 billion government programme targeting the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions, aimed at rebuilding livelihoods in post-conflict communities.
Under the programme, each beneficiary household is expected to receive Shs5 million to acquire two cows and two oxen.
Gulu City authorities say they are now awaiting revised guidelines and documentation from the Office of the Prime Minister before resuming the exercise.
“We want this programme to succeed and benefit the right people. That is why we must correct any mistakes early,” Banya said.
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