The Private Secretary to the President in charge of Political Affairs at State House, Augustine Otuko, has expressed deep concern over the poor utilisation of cattle compensation funds by beneficiaries in the Teso sub-region.
Otuko, who was assigned by President Museveni to conduct a fact-finding mission across the Teso sub-region, revealed that many of the recipients have not invested the funds productively.
During his recent tour across the districts of Teso, Otuko discovered that although a partial disbursement of the compensation funds had already been made, only a few beneficiaries had used the money to engage in income-generating ventures.
According to the findings, a total of Shs 134 billion has so far been paid to claimants, with Teso alone receiving a lion’s share of Shs 54.9 billion.
In particular, Kapelebyong District received Shs 4 billion, while claimants from Kalaki benefited from Shs 6 billion. Individual claimants received amounts ranging from Shs 2.5 million to Shs 98 million.
Despite the significant sums involved, Otuko lamented that the funds were mostly spent on non-productive activities.
“In Kapelebyong District, for example, a sample of 39 beneficiaries was randomly selected, and none of them had invested their money into any form of business,” Otuko reported, adding that this trend was consistent across all the districts he visited in the Teso sub-region.
One such case is that of Amayo Algerecia from Kapelebyong Town Council, who received Shs 36 million in three installments. She reportedly used the funds to marry wives for her two sons and to construct a house.
Similarly, Joyce Apegu received four instalments totalling Shs 18.9 million, which she used to build a house and pay tuition fees for her children at university.
Another claimant, Francis Osekeny, who had claimed compensation for nine cows, received Shs 2.2 million, Shs 2.5 million, and Shs 2 million in three phases. He told investigators that the money was used to clear his personal debts.
George William Osege, who received Shs 13 million, said he used the money to pay university tuition for his three granddaughters and to complete construction of a house.
“This is not the intended purpose of the compensation. It is wiser to reinvest this money into restocking livestock or starting businesses so that people’s lives can genuinely transform,” Otuko advised.
He called on leaders across Teso to play an active role in sensitising their communities about the responsible use of the compensation funds, emphasising that the payments were meant to restore livelihoods and enable long-term development.
Supporting Otuko’s concerns, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, confirmed that the government had earmarked an additional Shs 150 billion for further compensation in the next financial year. He urged claimants to use the funds wisely, cautioning against lavish spending.
“This money should not be spent on drinking or marrying second wives. It is compensation for loss and a chance to start anew,” Omona emphasised.
The cattle compensation program, which seeks to address the historic injustices caused by cattle rustling and insurgencies in Northern and Eastern Uganda, is a crucial initiative for economic recovery in the region.
However, leaders like Otuko and Omona warn that without financial literacy and responsible spending, the initiative may fail to deliver the intended impact.
As government prepares to release more compensation funds, local authorities and civil society organisations have been urged to prioritise financial education and community engagement to ensure the money serves its transformative purpose.