Report on Balaalo in Acholi to be released by September — committee

The committee investigating the issue of Balaalo (herdsmen) ownership of land in Acholi sub-region will produce their final report by the end of this September.

MP Anthony Akol, the vice-chairperson of the committee, said they held their second meeting on Tuesday (July 25) at the lands ministry headquarters in Kampala.

Akol represents Kilak County in Parliament.

He revealed that their meetings are focusing on the guidelines of investigation according to Presidential Executive Order Three, which includes all the ingredients such as land acquisition process and conditions for owning pastureland.

President Yoweri Museveni issued the executive order on May 19 this year, three months after his regional tour of Acholi during which he told locals in Acholi that he would deal with indisciplined nomadic herdsmen in northern Uganda.

In Executive Order Three, the Balaalo were to leave the north by the end of June, but this was deferred to September.

The deferment was contained in a July 2 letter by Museveni to Gen (Rtd) Salim Saleh, who is the lead coordinator of the Operation Wealth Creation government programme aimed at alleviating poverty.

“We have been looking at the guidelines of the investigation, which includes who a Mulaalo is, what their nationality is, and how they acquired land in Acholi, among others,” said Akol.

The legislator said that going by their progress so far, they will be set to publish their findings by September 30, 2023.

 It is "also the exact time that we shall use to reveal the lists of the Balaalo who can either stay or leave Acholi land".

Agago North MP John Amos Okot said that as the Acholi Parliamentary Group, to which he is a member, they have not been given an update on the investigations thus far.

He said there is need for a speedy investigation process in order to harmonize the relationship between the Acholi people and the herdsmen.