Museveni pledges lasting cattle compensation as Lango leaders push

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reassured the people of Lango that his government is committed to delivering a fair and lasting solution to the long-standing cattle compensation demand that has dragged on for decades.

The President made this pledge on Sunday, August 17, 2025, while addressing religious, cultural, and political leaders of Lango at Lango College playgrounds in Lira City.

The event attracted hundreds – if not thousands of leaders and community representatives who came to hear the President’s latest position on a matter that has defined political debates in Northern Uganda for years.

Museveni acknowledged that the cattle compensation issue, which stems from losses incurred during years of conflict and displacement caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, remains unresolved.

He said the government recognizes the suffering endured by families who lost their livestock, the backbone of their livelihoods.

“This matter has been pending for a long time,” Museveni told the gathering. “We have done something in Teso and Acholi, but in Lango, I hear many conflicting demands and long lists of claimants. Some people say their cattle were looted, others say they lost animals during displacement, while some exaggerate the numbers. That complicates the process. What we must ensure is fairness and accuracy. We cannot afford mistakes that may create fresh conflicts.”

The President urged leaders of Lango to establish one trusted committee that would take charge of cleaning, verifying, and authenticating the compensation lists before the government moves forward with payments.

He emphasized that without such a structure, the process could easily be marred by confusion, corruption, or fraud.

“I want you, the leaders of Lango, to sit and agree on one committee. Once you have that in place, the government is ready to work with you and proceed with the compensation. We must make sure the right people are paid, and that this matter is closed in a just way,” Museveni said.

During the meeting, Kole North Member of Parliament, Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti, raised concerns about how the government intends to implement the compensation exercise.

He stressed that Lango leaders must be fully involved in both the verification and decision-making processes to avoid sidelining the very people whose communities bore the brunt of cattle loss.

“Communities are waiting for clarity on how this matter will be handled,” Opio said. He proposed three key measures for consideration. First, the government should compensate approximately 98,000 people in Lango who have already been verified as genuine cattle claimants. Second, the valuation of cattle lost during the insurgency should take inflation into account, given that decades have passed since the losses were incurred.

Dr. Opio urged the government to prioritize paying individuals whose names appear on the official lists, saying this would restore justice for families who have waited for years without closure.

“People have been patient for too long. Compensation should not just be about numbers; it should be about justice and dignity for the families whose livelihoods were destroyed,” Opio emphasized.

The Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Karugaba Kafuuzi, also addressed the gathering, providing updates on the government’s ongoing compensation efforts across Northern Uganda.

He revealed that so far, over 24,000 people in Lango, Acholi, and Teso have already been verified as legitimate claimants, with a total of 506 billion shillings needed to clear the pending compensation.

“As part of the process, we have been issuing data cards to claimants to ensure transparency and accountability,” Kafuuzi said.

He further disclosed that significant sums have already been paid to beneficiaries in the three sub-regions. The government, he said, has so far disbursed shs48.7 billion to 12,000 claimants in Lango, shs43 billion to 4,838 claimants in Acholi, and shs65.9 billion to 11,000 claimants in Teso.

“These figures show progress, but we are aware that much more remains to be done,” the Deputy Attorney General said. “The challenge has been limited resources but the government is committed to completing this exercise in phases.”

The Otuke East Member of Parliament, Julius Acon Bua, added his voice, appreciating the initiative by Lango leaders to directly engage President Museveni over the unresolved matter. He, however, proposed that the government should consider compensating households with actual livestock rather than only cash.

Acon argued that giving at least five cows per household in Lango would go a long way in restoring families’ ability to farm, rebuild homes, and regain economic stability.

“For us in Lango, cattle are not just animals. They represent wealth, food, culture, and dignity,” Acon explained.