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Museveni Proposes Select Committee to Resolve Lango Cattle Compensation Dispute
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has proposed the creation of a special committee of trusted representatives from the Lango subregion to directly engage the government on the long-standing issue of cattle compensation.
The President proposed on Sunday, August 17, 2025, during a high-level meeting with leaders and residents at Lango College grounds, where emotions ran high over delays, corruption, and frustrations surrounding the 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,” Museveni told the gathering.
The cattle compensation program, launched in March 2022 with an initial budget of UGX 200 billion, was intended to compensate victims in Acholi, Lango, and Teso whose livestock and property were destroyed during past insurgencies and conflicts. However, the process has faced repeated setbacks, including inflated claims, corruption, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
According to President Museveni, the scheme was compromised when lawyers and middlemen exploited loopholes to siphon funds. “That is why we insisted on direct payments. So far, UGX 169 billion has been spent. But we still need UGX 506 billion for verified claims and another UGX 275 billion for unverified ones – close to 800 billion shillings in total,” he revealed.
Museveni stressed that compensation was not a common practice in post-conflict nations but rather an exceptional gesture by his government to foster peace and reconciliation. “In most countries, compensation is not done for wars or natural disasters. In the 1979 war, Mbarara was destroyed, Masaka was flattened, and in Luwero we have 33 mass graves with over 330,000 people killed. If we were to compensate all those, how would we manage?” he asked.
Anger from the Community
Local leaders and residents openly expressed dissatisfaction, accusing middlemen and officials of hijacking the process.
- Mzee Angello Okello, one of the original petitioners, regretted pursuing the matter through court: “The lawyers took advantage and stole money meant for the poor. We ask that you cancel the current process and find another way to rehabilitate the region.”
- Dennis Okwi from Otuke claimed his district alone lost UGX 15 billion to fraudsters, demanding direct distribution of cattle per household instead of cash payments.
- Barbara Akech, RDC of Dokolo, reported that at least 53 beneficiaries had their payments bounce, calling for a new model similar to the Parish Development Model to ensure funds reach people directly.
- George Kamara from Otuke accused the Attorney General’s office of unnecessary bureaucracy and proposed moving the program to the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Paramount Chief of Lango, Eng. Dr. Moses Odongo Okune (Won Nyaci), while commending the President for initiating the scheme, appealed for a decisive conclusion: “The heads of families who lost cattle have, in many cases, passed away, leaving children and grandchildren still waiting. Let us take decisive action so that this matter has a beginning and an end.”
Dr. Okune also highlighted progress in poverty reduction, noting that Lango’s poverty rate had dropped from 23.4% in 2021/23 to 18.8% today, and expressed confidence in Museveni’s leadership to further transform the region.
Deputy Attorney General Hon. Jackson Kafuuzi presented a status report showing that since 2014, only UGX 2.5 billion had been released for Lango, with some funds failing to reach beneficiaries due to invalid accounts, double claims, and inconsistencies.
Meanwhile, Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti (MP, Kole North), reading a memorandum on behalf of Lango leaders, demanded:
- Full payment of all verified claimants without age discrimination.
- Clear payment plans in a maximum of three instalments.
- Printing of additional data cards for those left out.
- 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 assured residents that government development interventions would continue step by step, depending on available resources. He made specific pledges to Lango, including:
- A bus for Lango footballers.
- UGX 50 million to the Agong Foundation of Lango Queen Margaret Odwar.
- UGX 550 million to the SACCO of clan heads under the Lango cultural institution.
He also congratulated Paramount Chief Dr. Okune on his election and pledged support to former cultural leader Mzee Yosam Odur for his long service.
The President used the occasion to caution against tribal and religious politics, which he blamed for Uganda’s instability in the past. He traced the roots of division to the 1950s and 1960s when parties like DP, UPC, and Kabaka Yekka were founded along sectarian lines.
“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,” Museveni said.
He credited the NRM’s policies and a strong national army for the peace currently enjoyed in Lango and urged residents to remain patient and united as the government works toward resolving the cattle compensation matter.
The event drew a wide range of attendees, including Ministers from Lango, Members of Parliament, RDCs, LC5 chairpersons, cultural and religious leaders, underscoring the weight of the issue in the region.
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