Finally, the cows are back in Acholi, Lango and Teso

What the report says

The Independent Uganda published a commentary arguing that cattle restocking has returned to Acholi, Lango and Teso under a new government plan. The piece says President Yoweri Museveni advanced the idea during the 2025/26 election campaign, after earlier compensation efforts for wartime livestock losses were criticized over corruption, legal disputes and limited reach. The article presents the new approach as a shift from individual cash claims to a uniform model of five cows per household.

According to the commentary, the restocking programme is intended to help households rebuild livelihoods in northern and eastern Uganda after cattle losses linked to conflicts that stretched from the 1990s to 2006. It says the planned package includes two bulls and three heifers per beneficiary, with the bulls meant to support farm work and the heifers to increase herd growth and nutrition. The writer says the programme is being framed as a broad-based effort rather than a payment tied only to those who can prove direct losses.

The article says the government allocated Shs80 billion in the 2025/26 financial year for the first phase, with another Shs100 billion planned for the following year, and claims about 16,000 households are expected to benefit. It cites figures from the Office of the Prime Minister and district-level allocation examples, including Omoro. The commentary also notes that priority was given to vulnerable groups such as widows, returnees, older people, unemployed youth and persons with disabilities.

More broadly, the piece argues the programme could restore cattle wealth and improve resilience in the three subregions, while acknowledging challenges such as beneficiary education, animal care costs and concerns about overpricing and misuse.