By KT Reporter
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Attorney General to audit cattle compensation in the Acholi sub-region within one month to determine the actual number of beneficiaries. Museveni issued the directive on Monday in Gulu City at Gulu Core Primary Teachers College while responding to concerns about alleged irregularities in the cattle compensation exercise.
The compensation report presented by Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi indicated that 4,836 claimants had been compensated in the Acholi sub-region.
The government has spent 43.66 billion shillings in the region, while 12,110 more claimants are still awaiting payment. In Lango sub-region, 42,024 claimants were registered, but only 12,389 received compensation, totaling 48.73 billion shillings. Teso sub-region registered 33,664 claimants, with 11,056 compensated at a cost of 65.65 billion shillings.
Overall, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has released 168.31 billion shillings to compensate 20,281 claimants across the three sub-regions. Kafuuzi noted an increasing number of claimants coming forward from Acholi, suggesting that many were left out during the original verification exercise conducted between 2009 and 2014 by an inter-ministerial team.
The exercise followed President Museveni’s decision for an out-of-court settlement after claimants, through their lawyers, filed lawsuits in high courts in Gulu, Arua, Lira, and Soroti seeking compensation for cattle lost during the war. In March 2022, Museveni launched a cattle compensation program at Soroti University, proposing a budget of 200 billion shillings.
“This was a cattle economy; the compensation might not fully reflect what people lost, but we are trying to restore the region,” Kafuuzi said. Regional leaders have raised concerns over disparities in claimant numbers, calling for immediate presidential intervention. A paper presented to Museveni by Chua West MP PP Okin Ojara highlighted issues including lack of transparency in the registration exercise and proposed the establishment of an independent committee of inquiry.
Kilak North MP Antony Akol questioned why Acholi, an epicenter of the conflict, has comparatively fewer claimants. “Your Excellency, the list that the Attorney General has for this sub-region isn’t comprehensive and cannot reflect what we lost here,” Akol told Museveni.
Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao also expressed skepticism about the list of beneficiaries, revealing that he was approached multiple times to register for compensation despite not losing cattle during the war. President Museveni expressed concern about these issues and directed an audit to address the emerging concerns.
“There are those who still want to go to heaven like Mao and cannot accept bribes, but others have agreed to go to hell. If they can do it to Mao, then what about others?” Museveni remarked. He acknowledged that, although the idea for compensation was flawed, the government now has a responsibility to address war-related losses. “You can’t pay for everything the war has caused because in war, many things die,” he noted.
Museveni added that, following the audit expected in one month, the government will decide whether to continue payments based on the audit or implement a flat payment of cattle to all households in Acholi. “I have listened to you, and there are two proposals: one is to continue with payment after the audit, or to have a flat payment of cattle to all households in Acholi,” he said.
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