Two weeks after President Yoweri Museveni issued the latest order calling for the undisciplined Balaalo to voluntarily leave Northern Uganda, the immigrant cattle farmers have requested that they are given three more months legitimize their stay.
The Balaalo who are fencing their land as instructed by the president say the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease coupled by bad roads cannot allow them to ferry their cattle out of the region, especially in Amuru district.
This comes after the minister of state for Northern Uganda Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny announced an outbreak of the deadly foot and mouth disease.
“Animals must not be moved out of Amuru because it has come to our attention of the two sub-counties in Amuru, that are affected by the foot and mouth disease” she said last week.
To this effect, Mugisha Kamugunda a leader among the Balaalo community in Amuru, thinks the eviction will cause more spread of the foot and mouth and therefore requesting for a grace period.
"We are humbly requesting the executive order be extended to at least three more months, people around the project land are more worried on how to ferry back their animals back in their respective districts."
He also says that besides the foot and mouth disease, another deadly disease has been identified within the cattle keepers in Amuru district.
A fortnight later, the cattle keepers have bought barbed wire and put up temporary fences.
However, natives are unhappy with the kind of fencing that is being put in place.
“Government should specify the kind of fencing and type of fence to be used because someone can decide to use barbed wires to fence yet these are bulls,” says Aciro Lucy.
Telesphor Turyamumanya the UPDF 4th Division spokesperson said, “When you investigate in the hardware shops, the fences are being bought and within that week, some Balalo fenced their land, this is compliance.”
However, the Kilak Member of Parliament Gilbert Olanya is against extending the stay of the Balalo in Northern Uganda.
"Pack your animals peacefully and leave Acholi land. We are not chaotic people but if you insist and leave your animals to continuously destroy people’s crops, we shall act as leaders from Acholi sub-region," he said.
Amuru district is the epicenter of the Balalo in Northern Uganda and according to the Residential District Commissioner Odong Stephen Latek , “We have recorded 86 non-compliant cattle keepers with a reasonable number of cattle of about 4000 heads of cattle, this is for immediate for expulsion."
In his address on November, 3 2023, President Yoweri Museveni instructed that voluntary eviction of the undisciplined Balalo ends on November, 224 2023, immediately after which forcefully eviction will commence and enforced by the UPDF.
