Cattle compensation: Amolatar leaders visit attorney general on Thursday

Leaders from the Amolatar district will meet with Uganda’s Attorney General next week on April 3 regarding cattle compensation.

The next week’s meeting will follow “a pivotal closed-door meeting” of Amolatar leaders on March 18, 2025, chaired by CAO Paul Mpiiwa.

The CAO-chaired meeting, which included LC5 chairperson Geoffrey Ocen Kiring, resulted in the formation of a committee tasked with addressing critical issues concerning cattle compensation.

One of the primary topics discussed was the need to define the categories of people who are eligible for compensation.

Kiring raised concerns from some individuals who believe their cattle were taken while they were still minors, complicating their claims.

The committee aims to distinguish between claimants who have taken legal action and those who have not, ensuring that eligibility is classified and assessed fairly.

Another source of concern is the claims verification process.

CAO Mpiiwa was astounded by how long it took—more than a year—to verify only 300 data cards issued to Amolatar residents.

This inefficiency calls into question accountability; the committee wants to know who will oversee claim verification and how many cattle are eligible for compensation.

LC5 Ocen also proposed that the newly allocated data cards be distributed equitably across all sub-counties in the district to ensure fairness and transparency.

He emphasized that the cattle compensation issue must be free of political influence, and he categorically denied any involvement in the issuance of the data cards.

“I am not a member of the verification committee,” he said.

Dr. Olum Peter, the District Veterinary Officer, added to the discussion by questioning the need for a verification phase and emphasizing the importance of following the court’s ruling.

He questioned whether verifying claimants is truly necessary in the context of the compensation process.

Pule Boniface, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner, stated that previous mismanagement resulted in errors in handling compensation issues.

He warned that in order to avoid further complications, the new data card system must be implemented with strict adherence to due process.

Joel Alele Lango, the claimants’ coordinator, expressed concern about why Amolatar appears to be falling behind in the compensation process.

He stated that, while the duo process (a two-step verification approach) was properly followed at the sub-county level, progress appears to be stalled at the District Intelligence Security Office (DISO).

With over a thousand data cards in circulation, he expressed concern that verification could take more than three years if the current pace continues.

Patrick Eumu Kauma accused the DISO’s office of being the source of delays, alleging that certain members of the Gombolola Internal Security Office (GISO) misled the DISO about the status of cattle compensation matters.

Eumu praised the sub-county verification committee’s efficient operations, citing their familiarity with beneficiaries and urging that no further delays from the district occur.

As the meeting with the Attorney General approaches, the Amolatar district leaders clearly aim to resolve these pressing issues and protect their constituents’ rights during cattle compensation.

As of March 2022, the government had verified 42,000 claimants in Lango.