President Museveni has attributed the loss of cattle and other property in northern Uganda to what he described as the country’s history of poor politics, particularly the politics of identity that triggered multiple wars.
The president made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with leaders from the Lango sub-region, where the longstanding issue of cattle compensation was the central point of discussion.
“The problems that led to the loss of property were a result of poor politics, particularly the politics of identity, which caused many wars in Uganda,” Museveni told the leaders.
He explained that while government is committed to compensating those affected, the process must be handled carefully to avoid creating false expectations.
“It is misleading to inform the public that this can all be resolved at once. I emphasised the importance of addressing these matters step by step,” he said.
During the dialogue, Museveni also invited the Lango leaders to share their perspectives on the government’s compensation strategy.
He stressed that the final approach should balance fairness with the realities of limited national resources.
President and the leaders agreed to establish a smaller working group to move the process forward.
“We agreed that they would select a small group of about 20 individuals with whom I will discuss and develop a plan for moving forward with cattle compensation,” Museveni noted.
The cattle compensation issue has lingered for decades, with communities in Lango, Acholi, Teso and other northern sub-regions demanding reparations for livestock lost during years of insurgency and instability.
