President Yoweri Museveni has called for equitable share of cattle compensation Funds in Teso sub-region.
Speaking at Soroti University during a meeting with cattle compensation claimants, local leaders, and stakeholders, the President stated that in the previous exercises, lawyers took a significant portion of the funds, leaving little for beneficiaries.
He directed that the remaining UGX 169 billion compensation money be shared fairly among all homesteads in Teso instead of allocating large sums to a few claimants.
Museveni explained that if each cow is valued at UGX 1 million, the fund could cover 169,000 cows. With approximately 69,000 households, each could receive two to three cows, while the 28,000 households already compensated would be excluded.
To ensure fairness, the President suggested forming a committee of elders, youth, and women leaders to oversee distribution and budget allocation. He added that, depending on calculations and phased disbursement, households could receive up to five cows each.
Vice President Jessica Alupo thanked President Museveni for addressing the long-standing cattle issue in Teso. She praised his leadership in maintaining peace in the region, crediting the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for ensuring stability.
Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi reported that the compensation process has been restructured to ensure direct payments to verified claimants, moving away from court-mediated settlements.
“Verification now occurs at sub-regional and district levels, involving Local Council Committees (LC1, LC2), Chief Administrative Officers, District Government Officers, and local depots—avoiding centralised verification in Kampala,”he said.
According to him,Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs issues data cards for claimants to submit bio-data, verified from village to district level. The system, initiated in 2016/17, was bolstered by the United States Committee, which verified thousands of claimants, including 16,946 across various sub-regions.
President Museveni launched the Cattle Compensation Initiative Series in March 2022 with a UGX 200 billion budget. Total payments have since reached UGX 506.7 billion. Recent disbursements in Lango Sub-region alone included 12,389 payments worth UGX 48.7 billion, with additional allocations across other sub-regions bringing the total for this round to UGX 128.3 billion through 28,281 payments.
However, 24,509 verified claimants remain unpaid, with outstanding claims totalling UGX 506.69 billion. These include 5,570 claimants in the Northern Sub-region (UGX 191.5 billion), 8,284 in the Eastern Sub-region (UGX 119.26 billion), and 10,708 in the Central Sub-region (UGX 165.9 billion). Delays stem from incorrect or duplicate account details, closed bank accounts, and mismatched identification.
Hon. Bosco Okiror, MP for Usuk Constituency, urged the government to improve payment transparency and resolve pending legal disputes. He cited three court cases involving claimant Elijah Okupa and others, with claims totalling approximately USD 207,000 annually, mostly from Teso.