Omony Denis & Agency
The Acholi Paramount Chief, Rwot David Onen Acana II, has appealed to individuals and leaders opposing the eviction of migrant cattle keepers (Balaalo) from Northern Uganda to reconsider their stance, warning of long-term environmental consequences resulting from large-scale cattle grazing.
Rwot Acana said that the presence of large herds of cattle in the region, depending on the available resources, could have a devastating impact on the soil and vegetation, leading to environmental degradation.
He faulted the local communities for what he describes as carelessly giving away their land for large-scale cattle grazing without considering the potential environmental impacts in the future.
Acana warned that the destruction of soil by the animal hooves and destruction of shrubs is slowly exposing the soil and lives under it, which could potentially result in the induced extinction of species of animals, plants and the displacement of the residents.
Rwot Acana appealed to the residents and the local leaders agitating for the continued stay of the balaalo cattle keepers to think beyond the expected individual gains, but focus on factors like the negative impacts of herding many cattle on the environment.
Rwot Acana made the remarks on Thursday last week during the annual celebration to mark World Environment Day 2025, organised by the Oil and Gas industry, held in Anaka Primary School, Anaka Town Council in Nwoya District.
The traditional leader used the occasion to also appeal to individuals, corporations, and institutions at the local and national level to incorporate environmental protection measures to help curb environmental degradation and its negative impacts.
Rwot Acana’s statement comes in the wake of the implementation of Executive Order No. 2 issued by President Museveni last month banning large-scale grazing of animals in North and North-Eastern Uganda. The directive followed years of complaints from the community and local leaders over land disputes, crop destruction, and resource conflicts linked to the cattle keepers.
However, a section of community members and leaders in the Acholi Sub-region have in the past and most recently opposed the eviction of the cattle keepers because they genuinely purchased land.
President Museveni, however, in a recent statement, defended the eviction of the cattle keepers, highlighting the mistakes they are making, including crop destruction, blocking of public access to essential resources like water, and illegal occupation of government ranches.
Since the latest eviction commenced last month, more than 12,000 heads of cattle had by Friday been evicted from West Acholi and West Nile Sub-regions, according to Gen Felix Busizoori, the commander of the Fourth Infantry Division who is heading the exercise code-named “Operation Harmony”.
Gen Busizoori noted that some 1,500 cattle were being kept in various holding grounds within the two sub-regions, but highlighted that the cattle keepers were facing challenges in accessing vehicles to transport them out.
There are an estimated 200,000 herds of cattle belonging to the migrant cattle keepers, predominantly from Western Uganda. Since 2018, the president has issued several eviction threats against the balaalo, including signing two executive orders (Executive Order No. 3 of May 19 2023, and Executive Order No. 2 of June 1 2025), but their implementation has largely failed.
