Lira — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has proposed the creation of a select committee of trusted representatives from the Lango subregion to directly engage government on the long-standing issue of livestock compensation.
The President made the proposal on Sunday, August 17, 2025, during a high-level meeting with leaders and residents at Lango College grounds, where emotions ran high over delays and frustrations surrounding the compensation program.
“I was recently in Soroti in the Teso subregion and heard the same concerns. I think the best way now is for you to select very reliable people who will represent you in Kampala so that we can conclude this matter once and for all,” President Museveni told the gathering.
The remarks marked a significant shift as residents and leaders accused the current system of being hijacked by middlemen and riddled with corruption. Launched in March 2022 with a budget of UGX 200 billion, the cattle compensation program was designed to compensate victims in Acholi, Lango, and Teso whose livestock and property were lost during past insurgencies.
President Museveni reminded participants that the initiative was an exceptional measure to promote peace and reconciliation, not a standard government practice. “In most countries, compensation is not done for wars or natural disasters,” he said, citing the devastation of Mbarara, Masaka, and Luwero during the 1979 war. “If we were to compensate all those, how would we manage?”
He revealed that while UGX 169 billion has already been paid, outstanding obligations remain — UGX 506 billion for verified claims and UGX 275 billion for unverified claims — nearly UGX 800 billion in total.
Community Outcry
Local leaders and residents expressed deep dissatisfaction with the program, accusing lawyers and middlemen of diverting funds.
Mzee Angello Okello, one of the original petitioners, regretted taking the matter to court: “The lawyers stole money meant for the poor. We ask that you cancel the current process and find another way to rehabilitate the region.”
Dennis Okwi claimed Otuke District alone lost UGX 15 billion to middlemen and urged government to distribute cattle per household.
Barbara Akech, RDC Dokolo, reported that 53 payments had bounced and suggested a Parish Development Model-style approach to ensure direct access.
George Kamara from Otuke accused the Attorney General’s office of frustrating the process and proposed moving it to the Office of the Prime Minister. The concerns painted a picture of widespread mistrust, with warnings that the exercise would continue to benefit elites at the expense of genuine victims if not reformed.
Voices of Leadership
The Paramount Chief of Lango, Eng. Dr. Moses Odongo Okune (Won Nyaci), applauded the President for initiating the program but urged for decisive action. “The heads of families who lost cattle have, in many cases, passed away, leaving children and grandchildren still waiting,” he said. “Let us take decisive action so this matter has a beginning and an end.”
Dr. Okune also praised government’s poverty-reduction efforts, noting that poverty levels in Lango had dropped from 23.4% in 2021/23 to 18.8% today.
Deputy Attorney General Hon. Jackson Kafuuzi presented a report showing that since 2014, only UGX 2.5 billion had been released for Lango, with several payments bouncing due to invalid accounts, double claims, or data inconsistencies.
On behalf of Lango leaders, Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti (MP, Kole North) submitted a memorandum calling for: full payment of all verified claimants without age discrimination, clear instalment-based payment plans, printing of additional data cards for excluded claimants, and fast-tracking the program with defined timelines.
“This matter touches the bone marrow of issues affecting Lango. We must settle it with certainty and finality,” he stressed.
Museveni’s Commitments
In response, President Museveni pledged targeted support to the subregion, including: a bus for Lango footballers, UGX 50 million to the Agong Foundation of Lango Queen Margaret Odwar, and UGX 550 million to the SACCO of clan heads under the Lango cultural institution.
He also congratulated newly elected Paramount Chief Dr. Okune and pledged continued support to former leader Mzee Yosam Odur.
The President cautioned against sectarian politics, blaming past instability on tribal and religious divisions of the 1950s and 1960s. “Once you take the line of sectarianism, you are committing suicide. That wrong politics damaged our parties and institutions. That is why the NRM insists on patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy,” he said.
Museveni credited peace in Lango to the NRM’s inclusive politics and a strong national army, urging patience and unity as government works to resolve compensation.
The meeting was attended by ministers from Lango, MPs, RDCs, LC5 chairpersons, cultural and religious leaders.
