"No Balaalo Beyond Here" Museveni's New Sweeping Directive on Balaalo Herders’ Free Movement

In a decisive policy shift aimed at easing mounting tensions over land use and security, President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an immediate ban on the unrestricted movement of Balaalo cattle herders into Northern, Eastern, and North-Western Uganda.

The presidential directive, delivered with characteristic firmness, targets the growing concerns from local leaders and residents who have long accused the nomadic Balaalo communities of illegal grazing, land encroachment, and the destruction of crop fields.

The move is seen as an attempt to restore order in regions that have increasingly voiced frustration over what many see as unchecked pastoralist expansion.

Museveni stated that the Balaalo must first acquire legally recognized grazing land and ensure proper fencing before relocating any livestock to other parts of the country.

He emphasized that the era of free-roaming herds invading private and communal lands was over. “No one will move cattle to another district without express clearance and adherence to guidelines,” he warned.

The directive comes after months of simmering tensions and sporadic clashes between Balaalo herders and host communities, particularly in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions.

Local leaders have welcomed the decision, calling it a timely intervention to prevent further breakdowns in social cohesion and food security.

Under the new rules, district security committees are now tasked with enforcing the ban and ensuring that any herders violating the directive are evicted and their livestock impounded.

The President also ordered the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture to audit land titles acquired by non-native pastoralists, citing a growing pattern of fraudulent land acquisitions that displace indigenous farmers.

This directive marks one of the strongest presidential actions yet to regulate pastoral migration in Uganda, reflecting a shift in how the state approaches the delicate balance between pastoralism and land ownership in a rapidly changing socio-economic landscape.

Observers believe this move could significantly reshape land use patterns across Uganda, potentially igniting new debates around ethnicity, land rights, and environmental sustainability.

For now, the message is clear: Museveni wants order restored—and the Balaalo must play by the rules.