A government livestock restocking programme targeting households affected by conflict and cattle rustling in northern and eastern Uganda is facing allegations of beneficiary manipulation, extortion and misuse of funds, a parliamentary committee has found.
The Committee on Presidential Affairs, chaired by Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, says weaknesses in beneficiary selection, financial accountability and monitoring after payments could undermine the programme’s objective of restoring livestock wealth and livelihoods.
The programme, implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), was allocated 80 billion shillings in its first year, targeting 16,000 households across 33 local governments in Acholi, Lango and Teso.
According to information submitted by OPM to the committee, 15,925 households had been approved on the programme’s digital system by August 25, 2026, while 15,010 had received payments.
But the committee estimates that about 1.6 million households across the three sub-regions require support, meaning the first two years of funding would cover only about two per cent of the estimated need.
The government allocated another 100 billion shillings for the 2026/27 financial year, bringing the two-year allocation to 180 billion shillings.
The programme is planned to run for 10 years, with each selected household receiving five million shillings to buy five cattle, two bulls and three heifers, at an indicative cost of one million shillings per animal.
The committee has recommended that government reconsider the scale of the programme and provide 700 billion shillings annually, an amount proposed during the planning of the intervention.
Boniface Okot, the MP for Kole County, questioned whether the current funding was sufficient to address the scale of livestock losses in the region.
Okot said 3.5 billion shillings had reached only 700 of an estimated 64,000 households in Kole, and backed the committee’s recommendation for a 700-billion-shilling annual allocation.
He argued that the programme’s scale should reflect the number of households requiring support and the extent of livestock losses caused by conflict and cattle rustling.
The programme’s guidelines prioritise vulnerable households, including elderly people, former abductees, female-headed households, unemployed and unskilled youth, persons with disabilities and widows or widowers.
Applicants are also required to have basic conditions for keeping livestock, including access to land and labour and the ability to meet maintenance costs.
However, the committee found evidence that the beneficiary selection process had been compromised in several districts.
In Acholi, the report documented cases of non-residents appearing on beneficiary lists, questionable telephone contacts and local leaders allegedly benefiting despite not meeting the prescribed eligibility criteria.
In Agago District, eight parish chiefs were interdicted over allegations of soliciting money and manipulating beneficiary lists. In Gulu City, the committee found that local council leaders had allegedly dominated the beneficiary lists, with nearly 70 leaders benefiting without following the selection criteria.
In Lira City, a town agent admitted under oath to including his wife on the beneficiary list, while a local council chairperson and vice-chairperson were accused of nominating relatives or associates. The committee also documented allegations of extortion and fraudulent payments in Teso.
In Kaberamaido District, a parish chief was arrested over allegations of demanding two million shillings from a beneficiary, while officials in Amuria District were reported to have defrauded a beneficiary of four million shillings.
The report further cites cases in which beneficiaries allegedly lost part of their payments after local officials or other individuals took control of their phones or SIM cards. In Kaberamaido, a village chairperson reportedly admitted using an elderly beneficiary’s phone to receive the money and giving her only 1.5 million shillings.
In Apac District, a GISO was reported to have taken 10 million shillings from two beneficiaries by taking control of their SIM cards. In Oyam District, an elderly beneficiary who could not provide fingerprints reportedly arranged for his daughter to receive the money on his behalf. He later told the committee that she surrendered only two million shillings.
The committee has recommended independent verification of beneficiaries, public access to beneficiary lists and tighter controls to prevent programme officials and local leaders from benefiting improperly.
The findings have also raised questions about whether the programme adequately addresses the different experiences of communities affected by armed conflict, displacement and cattle rustling.
The committee says the intervention has the potential to restore livelihoods, increase household incomes and improve food security, but warns that corruption, limited coverage and inadequate support services could undermine those objectives.
Soroti District Woman MP, Anna Adeke Ebaju called for greater attention to elderly beneficiaries, arguing that those who qualify should receive the support while they are still alive. The programme already identifies elderly people among the categories to be prioritised-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
