The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Katakwi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Vice President, Rtd. Maj. Jessica Rose Alupo Epel, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the long-awaited cattle compensation program. She noted that the compensation will be carried out in a phased manner.
Alupo assured affected communities in the Teso, Lango, and Acholi subregions that the program is still on course, urging claimants not to be misled by unfounded messages. She reiterated President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s commitment to the initiative, first launched in Soroti City in 2022 and reinforced during the program’s rollout in 2023.
Her remarks come in the wake of the postponement of a key meeting that had been scheduled for Friday, May 30, 2025, at State House Entebbe. The meeting was expected to bring together selected leaders from the three subregions to discuss the way forward on compensation.
Since the program’s launch by President Museveni at Soroti University on March 26, 2022, its implementation has drawn mixed reactions from beneficiaries, with some expressing concerns over how it is being managed. Alupo, however, called for trust in the process, stating that the government has no intention of abandoning the compensation plan.
She revealed that an allocation of UGX 80 billion has already been set aside to facilitate the program. In a letter dated May 22, 2025, addressed to LCV chairpersons and district councillors from Lango, Acholi, and Teso, the Vice President emphasized the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government’s ongoing commitment to the economic recovery of all regions affected by historical conflicts since 1962.
She also highlighted broader government efforts to uplift livelihoods through programs such as NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), the Parish Development Model (PDM), and EMYOOGA. Alupo urged the public not to be swayed by false or destabilizing information, noting that misinformation only hinders progress.
Meanwhile, Flt. Capt. Dr. George Mike Mukula, NRM Chairperson for the Eastern Region, criticized the gesture by National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, who has reportedly offered compensation to residents affected by past livestock-related conflicts. Mukula dismissed the move as political opportunism.
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