Africa-Press – Uganda. President Museveni’s latest pledge to compensate Teso households for decades-old cattle losses has raised fresh hope in a region long haunted by poverty and bitterness.
Minister of State for Transport Musa Francis Ecweru says the new directive will bypass lawyers and middlemen to directly benefit families, avoiding the scandals that marred earlier efforts.
Speaking to NBS over the weekend, Ecweru acknowledged that previous attempts to compensate Teso residents for cattle lost to Karimojong raiders were riddled with irregularities.
He said legal processes and poorly managed restocking programmes left victims sidelined while opportunists profited.
“For many years, the people of Teso have cried out over the loss of their livestock to raiders from Karamoja. The government has attempted various interventions — compensation through the Ministry of Justice and even restocking exercises — but some were poorly managed and failed to deliver the expected results,” Ecweru said.
He revealed that claims routed through courts opened loopholes that law firms exploited at the expense of genuine victims.
“One law firm alone demanded more than Shs 11 billion, money that was never going to buy even a single cow for the affected families. Another claimed over Shs7 billion. If we had allowed this, the compensation would have ended up benefiting law firms instead of the people,” he noted.
According to Ecweru, leaders in Teso advised Museveni to adopt a simpler model that treats all households as victims.
The new plan will set a cut-off period and give each family a uniform package valued at about Shs1.5 million.
“With about Shs 75 to 80 billion, government can cover the entire Teso region, instead of endless selective compensations that only benefit a few. This is the fairest approach,” Ecweru explained.
He added that the President has already directed the formation of a special committee, likely chaired by the Minister for Teso Affairs, to oversee the process, with the Vice President also working with relevant ministries to finalise modalities.
The minister said this approach would eliminate secrecy and ensure transparency.
“Previously, compensation was very opaque. Only the Ministry of Justice and the banks knew who was being paid. In some cases, individuals received huge sums like Shs92 million while their neighbours, who also lost cattle, got nothing. This created bitterness in the community,” he said.
Ecweru expressed confidence that Museveni’s new directive will finally heal the long-standing wound of cattle loss in Teso.
“The President has shown once again that he listens. He is determined to find a practical solution, and this time, we are optimistic it will succeed,” he said.
For decades, Teso, once one of Uganda’s most prosperous and educated regions, has struggled to recover from cattle raids that wiped out thousands of herds, leaving families impoverished and farms weakened.
Museveni’s latest pledge has reignited hopes that the region’s dignity and livelihoods can finally be restored.
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