Sebei leaders are pressing the Ugandan government to extend its cattle-restocking programme to their sub-region, arguing that communities that lost livestock through cattle raids have been left out of an intervention currently benefiting other parts of the country. The demand comes as the government moves to expand the programme, with Shs80 billion allocated for the 2025/26 financial year to support 16,000 households in Acholi, Lango and Teso.
The Office of the Prime Minister says a further Shs100 billion has been provided for the programme in the next financial year. However, Sebei leaders say the region should also benefit because many households lost cattle through years of raids and insecurity. Fadil Kisos Chemaswet, the PLU Secretary for Publicity in Sebei, presented the demand to Patriotic League of Uganda Secretary General Fadil Twalla during his engagement with PLU leaders and supporters in Sebei recently.
Kapchorwa District LC5 Chairman Vincent Chelimo said communities in the lower belts of Sebei continue to face insecurity linked to suspected cattle rustling, with farmers losing livestock to suspected raiders from neighbouring areas. Chelimo called for any restocking programme in Sebei to be accompanied by stronger security along border routes, warning that restoring livestock without addressing insecurity could expose beneficiaries to renewed losses.
Kween County MP William Chemonges said the concerns raised by the communities required urgent government attention. The leaders also renewed their demand for a permanent solution to the long-running boundary dispute between Sebei and Bugisu. Agnes Chesang, a resident of Ngenge Cell in Ngenge Town Council, Kween District, said the unresolved boundary has affected communities living in areas where the administrative status remains contested.
Daniel Siwa Moi, a resident of Tumboi Village in Kaptanya Sub-county, Kapchorwa District, said livestock losses had affected families that depend on cattle for income and household needs. Moi urged the government to consider Sebei communities when restocking is being done, saying they need to recover and rebuild their livelihoods. Mark Chelibei, a resident of Chelwasta in Bukwo District, said restocking should be accompanied by measures to protect livestock from further raids.
The government currently provides Shs5 million to each eligible household under the cattle-restocking programme to purchase three heifers and two bulls. However, implementation of the programme has come under scrutiny, with the Office of the Prime Minister warning in September that people who improperly accessed the funds would be investigated, arrested and prosecuted. OPM said it had received reports of ineligible people receiving money intended for beneficiaries.
Patriotic League of Uganda Secretary General Fadil Twalla said he would forward the resolution to the relevant authorities and push for action on the concerns raised by the leaders. The leaders’ demands come against a broader push for government interventions in the Mt Elgon area, where the Office of the Prime Minister is also implementing resettlement interventions for people affected by landslides.
Key points
- Sebei leaders demand inclusion in Uganda's expanded cattle-restocking programme.
- Communities in Sebei have lost livestock due to years of insecurity and raids.
- Leaders also call for a lasting settlement of the Sebei-Bugisu boundary dispute.
