Lango leaders call for justice and transparency in cattle compensation programme

18 August 2025, 11:54 am

By Eman yonah oruk

Lango community leaders have issued a strong appeal to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, calling for urgent action to tackle widespread corruption in the ongoing cattle compensation programme. They warned that the process is being manipulated, allowing non-beneficiaries to profit at the expense of genuine claimants from the Lango subregion.

The appeal was made during a high-level meeting held on Sunday, 17 August 2025, at Lango College grounds, where emotions ran high over delays and frustrations surrounding the compensation process.

While reading the community memorandum, Dr Samuel Opio Acuti, Secretary General of the Lango Parliamentary Group and Member of Parliament for Kole North, highlighted major irregularities in the compensation process. He stated that out of over 98,000 registered claimants in Lango, only 18,000 had received payments—many of which were far below the documented losses.

Dr Opio called for all claimants to be compensated in at least three instalments without discrimination. He also urged the government to allocate administrative costs to the respective districts and emphasised that corruption in the compensation process must be urgently addressed by the President.

Deputy Attorney General Jackson Karugaba Kafuuzi presented data on war-loss compensation, indicating that 24,509 claimants across the Acholi, Lango, and Teso subregions have been approved, with a total requirement of UGX 506 billion. Of this, Lango accounts for 8,284 claimants, requiring UGX 119 billion. So far, UGX 48.7 billion has been paid to 12,389 claimants in Lango.

In response, President Museveni acknowledged the concerns and requested that Lango leaders select up to 20 trusted representatives to meet him at State House, Kampala, to discuss strategies for resolving the anomalies. He also asked lawyers advocating for claimants to temporarily step aside to allow for constructive dialogue. The President emphasised the need for a new compensation strategy, noting that similar complaints had been raised during his recent visit to Soroti.

President Museveni also addressed broader concerns, stating that infrastructure and resources would be delivered gradually through prioritisation, rather than raising unrealistic expectations.

He made specific pledges to the subregion, 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

During the meeting, selected leaders from the Lango subregion expressed mixed reactions and deep disappointment over corruption and unfairness in the compensation process.

Mzee Angello Okello, one of the original petitioners in the compensation case, regretted taking the matter to court. He described the corruption in the cattle compensation programme as originating from the Office of the President and called for accountability.

“Most of 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,” Okello stated.

The gathering brought together all Lango ministers, Members of Parliament, RDCs, LCV chairpersons, district and city NRM executive committees, district councillors, LCIII chairpersons, three opinion leaders per county, and chairpersons of the Youth, Women, and Older Persons Councils, alongside Chief Administrative Officers.

Religious leaders—including bishops from the Anglican Church of Uganda, Catholic Church, Pentecostal Church, and the Regional Qadhi of Lango—were also present. Key security officials such as the 5th Division Commander, Regional Police Commander, Regional Internal Security Officer, District Internal Security Officers, and Lango cultural leaders attended as well.

The meeting was convened following a notice issued by Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua on behalf of the Vice President. It focused on resolving long-standing challenges in cattle compensation and strengthening collaboration between government authorities and local leadership in the region.