The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Lamwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Lamwo district on Tuesday started evicting pastoralists. The eviction is however contrary to a resolution made on Sunday by the security committee of Lamwo, together with clan leaders to halt the exercise until the former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah is buried.
Denis Akaka, the Prime Minister of Palabek Cultural institution, says a pastoralist and his 77 animals were driven out of Anaka parish in Palabek Gem sub-county by the police.
Akaka says the police on Wednesday again went to Anaka parish in Palabek Gem sub-county to continue with the eviction and will on Friday go to Apyeta. According to Akaka, there are about four kraals remaining in the district, with the biggest having more than 300 cattle.
However, Alaka says he does not know how the resolution was reversed.
James Kidega, the RDC of Lamwo district reiterated that they had decided to halt the eviction of the pastoralists.
Kidega reveals that the police in the district are carrying out the eviction without the presence of the District Police Commander (DPC), district leaders, district security team, and even district veterinary officer. He questions the yardstick the team on the ground is using to evict the pastoralists.
According to section 3 (e) of the guidelines on the “Safisha Kilimo Na Mifugo” operation, zonal commanders are expected to be in charge of their clusters and will oversee their respective District Security Committees (DSCs) in executing the exercise. The respective DSCs will co-opt the District Veterinary Officers as well as the area cultural and local leaders in the execution of the exercise.
Attempts to get a comment from the DPC Lamwo failed as he did not pick up his calls.
James Ocaya, the acting Director of Research and Planning at the Uganda Police Force who is the secretary in charge of the eviction in Zone B comprising of Kitgum, Lamwo, and Pader, said he was still in a meeting and could not comment then.
On November 2, 2021, President Museveni in a letter to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, ordered for the eviction of all pastoralists in Northern Uganda, saying they illegally operating in the sub-region and a problem to farmers in the north, especially in the Acholi sub-region.
*****
URN
The the Karamajong are also nomadic Pastoralists and immediate neighbors of Teso, Lango and Acholi Sub-regions. Except once in a while of their cattle raids, the Karamajong do not covet their neighbors land, and not a nuisance like the arrogant and cocky Balaalo.
Otherwise, enough is enough. Why are the so call Balaalo landless and seems stateless? In the 21st Century the backward, disruptive, destructive, annoying nomadic practice of Balaalo must be brought to an end.
They must leave, because; nobody from Greater Northern especially the Karamajong pastoralists the only ones with numbers of herd of cattle, from hundreds of miles away in Kotido, would load their cattle on Fuso trucks and head to e.g. Nakasongola, Sembabule, Ankole, etc., offload them and start grazing them thereof on apparent vacant land.
If not checked, the rise and marauding of Balaalo as they please, is causing a lot of land-grabbing suspicion and resentments.