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Why Amuru suspended Balaalo eviction exercise
Amuru RDC Stephen Odong Latek at one of the cattle holding grounds in Lakang Sub-county recently. PHOTO /JESUS OKELLO OJARA
What you need to know:
- On November 25, Amuru and Gulu districts commenced the forceful eviction of non-complaint Balaalo from the area.
BY JESUS OKELLO OJARA
The Amuru District security team has suspended the implementation of the presidential directive to evict herdsmen, commonly known as Balaalo, from the area, citing a poor road network and lack of funds.
Last Wednesday, Mr Stephen Odong Latek, the resident district commissioner, said they could only conduct the exercise for two days.
“As per the directive, we started the eviction well, unfortunately, the nature of our terrain, and the roads have not enabled us to move the animals from the temporary holding sites to the government ones, or even the cattle owners to claim their cattle,” he said.
Mr Latek said whereas the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal, Industry and Fisheries gave them a truck to help in transporting the cattle to designated holding grounds, the bad roads would not allow them.
“We have temporarily kept the operations off as we wait for the road network to improve,” he said
Mr Latek further said apart from the bad terrain, the district is also so vast that they need more manpower to be able to fully comb the entire area to take away the Balaalo herdsmen.
Mr Samuel Akera, the chairperson of Atiak Sub-county, which has one temporary cattle holding ground, said a total of 232 cows were impounded during the two-day operation in the area.
“The implementation has stopped because the district security committee said there is not enough manpower, and logistics; even the holding ground here in Okidi is on private land of a herdsman we had evicted,” Mr Akera said.
Mr Akera, however, said the committee informed them that when the needed manpower and logistics are provided, the implementation process will resume as planned.
“We are also challenged by Balaalo herdsmen who are grazing their cows together with those of the locals, it is difficult to differentiate their cattle,” Mr Akera said.
Police speak
Mr David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa West regional police spokesperson, said despite the challenges, the team will continue with the eviction exercise. “We shall continue with the eviction, all the animals in the holding grounds are waiting for owners to claim them and move them out,” Mr Mudong said.
Mr Latek said they plan to transport more than 800 impounded cattle to the government holding ground in Got Apwoyo and Aswa ranch.
This publication also established that the security committees in the districts of Amuru and Gulu are seeking about Shs500 million to continue with the forceful eviction of the 190 non-compliant Balaalo pastoralists in the two districts.
On November 25, the two districts commenced the forceful eviction of non-compliant Balaalo owning more than 20,000 head of cattle.
Earlier, the Minister for State for Northern Uganda, Ms Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, disclosed that the district security committees along with other sectoral committees mandated with the eviction of the cattle keepers had delivered budgets of between Shs23 million and Shs30 million to facilitate the implementation of the presidential order.
Background
While addressing the weekly press briefing in Kampala on Monday, Police spokesperson Fred Enanga revealed that up to 1,460 head of cattle had been seized in Northern Uganda.
In Gulu, Mr Enanga said a total of 498 cows were seized, of which 132 have been transported to the National Genetic Resources Centre (NAGRIC) at Got Apwoyo, while 261 animals were taken to Corner Adee holding centre.
In Nwoya District, a total of 358 animals were seized while other herdmen voluntarily relocated to Buseruka Sub-county, Hoima District, with 82 animals.
