President Museveni has defended his recent directives to evict balaalo migrant cattle keepers from Northern, North-Western, and Eastern Uganda, citing rampant illegal grazing, land wrangles, and misuse of public land.
In a statement released Sunday, Museveni pushed back against growing criticism over the evictions, saying his Executive Orders are not rooted in tribal discrimination but aimed at curbing "illegal and irrational" behavior among certain herders.
"The resentment by the locals and my Executive Orders are not about the legal and rational actors.They are both directed at the illegal and the irrational,"Museveni said.
In June 2025, Museveni issued his second directive in a month, setting June 25 as the start date for evicting balaalo from the northern region.
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The move followed an earlier order issued on May 19 during a meeting with security leaders in the north. That order revived the implementation of Executive Order No. 3 of 2023, which had been halted in December 2023 due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in over 30 districts.
Despite setting a deadline of June 4 for all migrant herders to leave with their animals, no evictions had occurred by that date, prompting backlash from local leaders.
Many accused the president of issuing "fruitless" Executive Orders and taking the Acholi community for granted.
The balaalo, mostly from Western Uganda, began settling in Northern Uganda over the past decade in search of grazing land. While some legally leased or purchased land, many others gained access through informal or fraudulent deals involving communal land, often without clan consent.
Local leaders, especially in the Acholi sub-region, have raised alarms over what they term the "commodification of land," warning that the influx of non-local herders is contributing to environmental degradation, rising land conflicts, and destruction of livelihoods.
Museveni acknowledged these concerns, stating that free-grazing cattle have damaged crops across the region.
"Okwonesa cattle grazing on other people's crops is not patriotism. Is that part of the freedom of movement of Ugandans within Uganda?" he asked.
He attributed the problem to a lack of fencing and water on herders' farms, which forces them to move animals in search of resources, especially during the dry season.
He also accused some herders of carelessly fencing off access routes to public resources like the Nile River.
While legal land ownership is a matter for the courts, Museveni stressed that it is not the immediate issue.
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"Whether you legally bought or rented the land, you have no right to kwoneseza people your livestock grazing on people's crops nor do you have the right to block people's access routes," he emphasised.
The President also revealed that some balaalo had invaded government ranches, interfering with official cattle breeding programs.
"This patriotic action stops the Government from doing its planned projects," he said, noting it has prompted local frustration.
He raised concerns over the issuance of cattle movement permits (ebaruha y'okufuruka), questioning whether proper checks were done to ensure disease control, water availability, and fencing before animals were moved into the region.
Addressing criticism from journalist Andrew Mwenda and others who argue the evictions are tribalistic, Museveni said his orders do not target migrants who contribute positively to the communities.
He cited a Munyoro woman named Adyeeri, who runs a respected fruit farm in Nwoya District, as an example of lawful and welcomed migration.
Museveni also highlighted that local justice systems for resolving grazing disputes such as kutsibika (tying an offending animal until the owner pays a fine) have failed in some cases because certain balaalo come with armed relatives who intimidate residents.
"These simple justice practices cannot apply to such powerful people. That is why they need the Executive Order of the President of Uganda," he said.
