The government, through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), has proposed prioritizing the most vulnerable communities in Northern Uganda during the first phase of the upcoming cattle restocking programme.
Among those earmarked for consideration are former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) combatants and victims of the more than two-decade-long insurgency that devastated the region.
Early last month, the government announced that it had set aside 80 billion Shillings for the cattle restocking programme targeting households in the sub-regions of Teso, Acholi, and Lango.
Each beneficiary household affected by the past insurgencies and lost their cattle will receive five million shillings to purchase cattle.
Dr Kenneth Omona, the State Minister for Northern Uganda Rehabilitation says former LRA returnees will be included in the first phase of the restocking programme.
Dr Omona further notes that former LRA combatants will also benefit from the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF IV), under which the government has earmarked 963.2 billion shillings.
The programme targets 2.9 million people in 83 districts over the next six years.
Jimmy Sammy Odongtoo, a representative of the Greater North War Victims Association, warns that the government should not overlook former LRA combatants whose concerns, he says have remained unaddressed for years. He proposes that the government support their registered associations, particularly village savings and loan associations (SACCOs), to improve their socio-economic livelihoods.
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