Kampala, Uganda – A defiant group of Balaalo pastoralists from northern Uganda on Wednesday marched to Parliament and the Ministry of Justice, protesting what they described as unfair and unlawful evictions sanctioned by the state.
With placards, cattle bells, and chants of resistance, the group demanded a transparent validation process before any forced removals are carried out, warning that their rights, property, and livelihoods are under threat.
“We are not land grabbers. We are Ugandan citizens who invested legally in the north,” said one of the Balaalo leaders outside Parliament.
“This is our home too, and we demand justice, not selective eviction.”
Their protest comes in response to President Yoweri Museveni’s most recent Executive Order directing all Balaalo herdsmen to vacate northern Uganda, a directive that echoes previous orders issued in 2017, 2021, and 2023, which were either ignored or inconsistently enforced.
President Museveni’s latest order, part of a broader initiative to resolve land disputes and environmental degradation in the Acholi, Lango, and West Nile subregions, accuses the Balaalo of grazing cattle irresponsibly, destroying crops, and disrespecting cultural land ownership customs.
“This is not about tribe, it’s about behavior,” Museveni said in a past directive. “You cannot just move into someone’s land without agreement or control.”
However, the Balaalo argue that the government has failed to distinguish between legal landowners and illegal squatters, branding all of them as culprits without due process.
At the Ministry of Justice, the group submitted a petition calling for legal audits of land titles held by Balaalo in the north, compensation mechanisms for those wrongly evicted and government recognition of bona fide settlers who acquired land legally.
They emphasized that blanket evictions fuel tribal tensions and threaten national unity.
“If we bought land legally, then we must be protected by the law,” said a Balaalo representative. “We’re not above the law, but neither should we be beneath it.”
The Balaalo settlement saga has plagued northern Uganda for over a decade, with local leaders accusing them of fencing off communal grazing lands, destroying crops, and clashing with indigenous communities.
In districts like Amuru, Pader, Kitgum, and Adjumani, tensions have occasionally turned violent, prompting repeated state intervention, but with little permanent resolution.
As Uganda moves toward the 2026 general elections, land conflicts are expected to become a flashpoint, especially in rural constituencies where customary land ownership and pastoralism collide.
“This situation is not just about cows and land, it’s about power, identity, and broken systems,” says political analyst Dr. Isaac Ojok.
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