Security personnel in Kitgum District have intensified the eviction of the balaalo. They have evicted 79 heads of cattle from Tepwoyo West village in Mucwini West Sub-county, Kitgum District.
The cattle belonged to Paul Okot, a businessman in Kitgum Municipality, who claimed to have bought the animals from a herdman in Lakaranganya village, Laguti Sub-county, Pader District. He had earlier taken the cattle to Tepwoyo West village, where the community there became suspicious and reported the matter to the office of the Resident District Commissioner.
Jimmy Ssegawa Ebil, the Kitgum RDC, revealed that Okot claimed that he bought 47 herds of cattle from the herdsman identified only as Fred before he was given 32 herds belonging to the seller to take care of; however, when tasked, he failed to provide proof of ownership, prompting authorities to drive the livestock away and return them to Laguti Sub-county.
Stephen Labalpiny, the Kitgum Assistant Resident District Commissioner, said that the 79 herds of cattle were driven away on Thursday early morning toward Pader District, as the operation aimed to regulate cattle movement and ownership in the region. Ebil suspects that the Mulalalo herdman might have given Okot the 79 herds of cattle as the enforcement of the presidential executive order takes effect.
The animals will be driven to the border of Kitgum and Pader District, where they will be handed over to Pader District authorities for further action. Labalpiny emphasised that this action enforces President Museveni’s Executive Order number three.
This enforcement is part of President Museveni’s recent directives. This month, he issued a second directive for the eviction of migrant cattle keepers from Northern Uganda.
A similar directive was issued in May 2025, after Executive Order number 3 of 2023 was halted due to a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in over 30 districts.
