Northern Uganda's Operation Harmony boosted with motorcycles

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The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has handed over five motorcycles to veterinary officers in five districts, selected for the implementation of Presidential Executive Orders No. 03 of 2023 and No. 02 of 2025, aimed at expelling Balaalo (nomadic pastoralists) from northern Uganda.

The beneficiary districts are Amuru, Nwoya, Madi-Olok, Apac and Gulu.

The motorcycles were delivered under an operation codenamed Operation Harmony, which seeks to enforce the eviction of Balaalo cattle from the region.

The handover ceremony took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in Gulu and was presided over by the Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Kenneth Omona, on December 23, 2025.

Omona said the provision of the motorcycles demonstrates the Government’s commitment to fully implementing the presidential directives.

“With the ongoing restocking programme in northern Uganda, these motorcycles will enable veterinary officers to effectively deliver veterinary services to communities and support the implementation of the executive orders,” Omona said.

He warned individuals allegedly interfering with Operation Harmony to desist, noting that the Government has information on those undermining the exercise.

Omona added that the operation must resume in full force to ensure all remaining Balaalo cattle are evicted from the region.

He also cautioned beneficiaries against using the motorcycles for personal business, stressing that they are strictly meant to facilitate official veterinary work.

Execution challenges

Despite the executive orders, the implementation of Operation Harmony has faced several challenges.

According to security officials, Balaalo have moved cattle to remote and hard-to-reach areas, complicating eviction efforts.

Other challenges include the lack of adequate holding grounds, delays in removing animals from these facilities, collusion between some local landowners and Balaalo to claim ownership of cattle, limited resources for enforcement personnel, and outbreaks of animal diseases.

In districts such as Amuru and Nwoya, disease outbreaks previously forced authorities to return animals from holding grounds to their owners for treatment, further slowing the operation.

Under Operation Harmony, district veterinary officers (DVOs) are tasked with assessing cattle and issuing movement permits.

However, their work has been hindered by a lack of transport to access impoundment sites, an issue the motorcycles are expected to address.

Speaking at the ceremony, Colonel Orombi Oloya, the Operations and Training Officer of the 4th Infantry Division, who represented the Division Commander, Major General Felix Busizoori, said intelligence-led operations have so far led to the eviction of 53,160 Balaalo cattle since 2023.

He added that the animals exited the region through Karuma Bridge.

Orombi further revealed that verification exercises identified about 120,000 Balaalo-owned cattle in northern Uganda.

Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner (RDC) whip for Northern Uganda, said security agencies will take action against individuals who collude with Balaalo to falsely claim ownership of cattle, a practice that has complicated the verification process.

In Amuru District, four holding centres have been established in Okidi, Pogo, Layima, and Lakang to support the operation.

Alfred Opiyo, the veterinary officer of Gulu who received a motorcycle, said it would significantly ease long-standing transport challenges, particularly in reaching remote cattle impoundment sites.

The government has directed Chief Administrative Officers to ensure the motorcycles remain under the control of District Veterinary Offices and are not reassigned to other departments.