Museveni issues another eviction order for balaalo to exit northern Uganda

President Yoweri Museveni has issued a fresh eviction directive targeting migrant cattle keepers, commonly known as balaalo, from northern Uganda.

The second eviction order of 2025 takes effect on June 25, as the government seeks to enforce regulation of free-ranging livestock in the region. The order follows Museveni’s meeting with security officials in northern Uganda on May 19, where he issued the first eviction directive of the year, reviving Executive Order No. 3 of 2023, which had been suspended in December 2023 due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in over 30 districts.

After the eviction exercise resumed on May 23, 2025, herders were expected to leave with their animals by June 4. However, no animals were removed, prompting frustration and accusations from Acholi leaders and residents that the government was taking them for granted by issuing unimplemented directives.

Addressing journalists at the 4th Infantry Division Barracks on Wednesday this week, division commander Maj Felix Busizoori confirmed that the president had now issued a second directive, this time banning the movement of free-ranging cattle from outside the region and criminalizing the practice altogether.

Busizoori said the second order allows for a proper audit of herders who claim to have legitimately purchased land, set up fenced sanctuaries with permanent water sources, and maintained access to public water points.

According to Busizoori, phase one of the exercise has already begun, focusing on sensitising local leaders, landowners, and the cattle keepers themselves. Voluntary departure is being encouraged ahead of enforced eviction, which is set to begin on June 25 and last for 65 days.

Only designated officials, including security agencies, district veterinary officers, Uganda Wildlife Authority, National Forestry Authority, and the ministry of Internal Affairs, will be involved in the exercise. Others include representatives from the Acholi Cultural Institution and local council leaders at parish and sub-county levels.

He clarified that while the cattle will be removed, their owners will stay behind as a verification process begins to assess claims of legitimate land acquisition. The audit team, alongside landowners, will determine who can remain and who must leave.

For logistical ease and to avoid chaos in destination districts, the eviction will be conducted parish by parish. Representing the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police Philip Acaye urged community members and local leaders to remain calm and cooperative throughout the process.

“Let everyone stay in their lane. If we do that, we shall all come out without bruises. If we try crossing lanes, that’s when we can get bruised,” Acaye warned. He also called for public support in providing credible information and reminded security forces to adhere strictly to their standard operating procedures.

Amuru RDC Geoffrey Osborn Oceng echoed the warnings, urging political leaders to stop inciting the public. “This is a matter of governance. The president has issued a directive, and we are going to implement it fully as explained by the commander,” Oceng said.

Background: Balaalo land controversy

The balaalo, mainly pastoralists from western Uganda, began settling in northern Uganda over the past decade in search of grazing land. While some reportedly acquired land through lease or purchase, others occupied communal land through informal or fraudulent arrangements, often without clan approval.

In Acholi, traditional leaders have expressed concern over what they call the dangerous commodification of land, environmental degradation, and the growing number of land disputes associated with the presence of non-local herders. Several leaders have called for urgent reforms to protect communal land and future generations from what they see as creeping displacement under the guise of private land ownership.