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Summary:

• A committee overseeing the eviction of non-compliant cattle owners in Gulu and Amuru districts has identified nine individuals with 830 cattle, urging swift departure or facing auction, following President Museveni’s directive to address indiscipline and crop destruction.

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Gulu, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Over the past five days, the committee assigned to carry out the removal of migrant cattle keepers has identified nine owners with a total of 830 cattle slated for eviction from Gulu and Amuru districts during the second week of the eviction initiative. Last month, reports indicated that over 80,000 cattle, owned by non-compliant keepers, were present in the northern region.

The team, consisting of the District Security Committee, police, and UPDF, is overseeing the eviction process and inspecting farms to ascertain the presence of proper fencing (four strands of barbed wire), availability of water sources for the animals, and ensuring the land is not overwhelmed by livestock.

Among the identified cattle owners, seven are from Amuru in Lakang and Atiak Sub-Counties, collectively possessing 604 head of cattle. Additionally, two cattle owners from Palaro Sub-County in Gulu district, collectively owning 226 animals, are part of the eviction.

Eight cattle owners in Amuru are accused of lacking proper fencing and water sources, while one in Gulu is charged with not having a fence and water source, along with a dispute with the community.

Freedom Kwiyocwiny, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, addressed journalists on the eviction process in Gulu on Sunday. She stated that they anticipate the cattle owners to have vacated by Monday, or else the animals will be auctioned. Kwiyocwiny advised those without funds to sell some of their animals to arrange transport for the remaining ones.

Kwiyocwiny disclosed that within the last three days, the eviction team identified the next set of cattle owners to be evicted, urging non-compliant individuals to expedite the process.

She appealed to those involved in cattle farming to embrace modern methods of confining their animals to a specific area, as opposed to letting them roam freely, as has been observed in the past.

The eviction operation, named “Operation Harmony,” officially commenced on November 25th. On November 26th, more than 250 animals were removed from Amuru, followed by the eviction of 250 animals from Palaro Sub-County on November 27th. These evictions are in response to President Museveni’s directive for undisciplined cattle owners to leave the region, citing their animals’ destruction of crops. Two prior executive orders for cattle owner eviction were reportedly ineffective.

Kwiyocwiny emphasized that Executive Order Number 3 is intended to ensure the departure of all non-compliant cattle keepers, with no specified deadline for compliance.