NWOYA

Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, the Minister for Northern Uganda under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has urged land owners and ‘Balalo’ herdsmen from Nwoya, Amuru districts to live in harmony and dedicate their energies to developing the region.

Her appeal follows controversies over land ownership where in some cases after transactions between individuals of both groups have been disregarded or disputed.

Kwiyucwiny chaired both meetings held at Anaka Town Council, headquarters of Nwoya District on Thursday October 26, 2023, and another at Amuru Multi-purpose hall in Amuru Town Council on Friday October 27, 2023 respectively.

Participants during the engagement in Amuru Multi-purpose Hall in Amuru Town Council on Friday. (Photo by David Magere)

Kwiyucwiny while explaining the contents of the Presidential Executive Order Three (03) issued in May this year said that the who parties do not need to have tensions amongst themselves, because that guide is very clear that both parties have to meet the conditions of acquiring land, coupled with the necessities required to rear cattle on such lands.

The Minister assured the parties that they need to consider three important practices that would inform their peaceful living which are; i) Strengthening the Cultural Institutions, where visitors should respect the host community cultural way of life and vice versa;

The others are ii) have Honesty; where case of animal trapping should be controlled and incase of such mistakes, compensation should be reasonable with proper pricing in compensation; and lastly iii) both the parties should Observe the Law-where both cattle keeper and land owners to stop incitement of violence and then have peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Stephen Bujingo, the Vice Chairperson of Cattle Keepers Association (CKA) in the entire Northern Uganda said that most of them went through the legal process to acquire land and they have all the documents for legal ownership, that makes them have no need to panic.

Bujingo, who is also the Chairperson of CKA of Atiak Sub-County in Nwoya district said that he has a total of 200 herds of cattle all being sheltered at his legally acquired land with all the conditions necessary including fence water and pasture lands.

Denis Atube, a landLord resident of Lungulu Sub- County in Nwoya District said that they are apparently living well with the herdsmen, with the exception of a few individuals who enter into controversies with the newcomers for personal gains.

Denis Atube, a land owner during the meeting in Nwoya. (Photo by David Magere)

Atube however remarked that they have been able to settle some tensions amicably at the grass roots, but sometimes the locals do not report some of the cases of violence demonstrated on them by the herdsmen and prefer confrontations that are not right.

Judith Peace Atim, the Nwoya District Woman Member of Parliament (MP) said that because the locals have already started complaining that the herdsmen are grabbing their land, yet they have a family wrangle prior to the coming of the Balalo.

Atim advised the locals who have donated land and those who purchased land should have to go back to their land demarcations so that they can have a fresh boundary review of the contested lands.

“The people should know that anyone who has have a non-binding Agreement with any herdsmen should see the district authorities/leaders so that the agreement is revoked.  This is important to protect both the land buyers and sellers or lessors, so that no party loses,” remarked Atim.

About the Executive Order

In May this year, President Museveni issued an Executive Order termed Executive Order Number 3 that banned the illegal occupation and ownership of land in Acholi, northern region by the Balalo herdsmen.

The Purpose of the order was to curtail illegal settlement and reduce commercial charcoal business that was eating the environment of the region.

The Order that’s  supposed to be implemented by July 30, was extended to October 20^th and then November 3^rd to allow the President get adequate information of the said illegal land owners.