By Andrew Irumba
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has spoken at length—arguably far too much—about the Balaalo crisis. His explanations are thorough, even repetitive. But what Ugandans, particularly the Acholi people, need now is not another speech. They need action. Swift, firm, and uncompromising action, just like we saw with the recent enforcement of the UPDF Act. If the president wants to be taken seriously, he must back his words with bold deeds.
The Balaalo should have vacated Acholi land yesterday. How do you show up in someone’s home with 1,000 cows—equivalent, in Balaalo eyes, to 1,000 children—without respect for the community already living there? The Acholi people have long safeguarded their communal land through a deeply rooted traditional tenure system that respects shared ownership and cultural integrity. But now, powerful interests are trying to bend that system to serve private greed.
Let’s be honest: this is not migration—it’s an invasion. Backed by political connections and government silence, these cattle herders are taking advantage of a vulnerable region, buying land for a pittance, and disrupting centuries-old social harmony. The Balaalo are not integrating—they are displacing, dismantling, and destabilizing.
I recently heard a Mulaalo man ask, “Where should we go?”
My answer: Where did you come from?
If you claim divine guidance led you here, perhaps go back and tell God He sent you to a place already inhabited by His children.
Some, like Andrew Mwenda, lean on legal justifications and even cite the Buganda Kingdom as a precedent. But the law is not a hammer to be used blindly. Any justice worth their robe knows that law must be tempered with logic and intent. That’s why not all killings are labeled murder—intent matters. Similarly, land laws should not be used to justify systemic land grabs that ruin communities.
As for Buganda’s example—have we learned nothing? The Kingdom is embroiled in endless land disputes, bleeding from the wounds of a flawed tenure system. If they could turn back time, wouldn’t they too have chosen the communal model that Acholi still cherish?
This is not just about cows and culture—it’s about history, survival, and justice.
From Palestine to Ukraine, from Migingo Island to Amin’s Uganda-Tanzania war—land disputes have always sparked deep, lasting conflict. Solve the land issue in Acholi now, or prepare for a storm that could engulf generations.
And let’s interrogate this nomadic logic: In 2025, why are we encouraging movements of thousands of cattle across regions like it’s still the Stone Age? If Balaalo lands can no longer sustain their herds, the solution isn’t to trample over others—it’s to ask serious questions about sustainability and respect for national unity.
Uganda belongs to all of us. But no one should use power, privilege, or policy loopholes to displace others. Acholi land is not for sale at the expense of its people. It’s time to stop talking and start acting—before history repeats itself, bloodily.
#BalaaloGoBackHome | #CutTheCrap
