Maj Gen Busizoori Monitors Progress Of Balaalo Relocation Exercise

Major General Felix Busizoori, Commander of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) 4 Infantry Division, has begun a regional tour to oversee the enforcement of Presidential Executive Orders No. 2 and 3 of 2025.

The directives mandate the eviction of illegal pastoralists, known as the Balaalo, from Northern Uganda.

His visit follows a month-long public sensitisation campaign aimed at ensuring the orders are understood and implemented peacefully.

Maj Gen Busizoori urged the herders to use the voluntary relocation window to return their cattle to their places of origin, warning of serious consequences for non-compliance. “Anyone caught in such acts will face prosecution,” he warned, referring to reports that some herders are colluding with locals to falsely register Balaalo cattle as belonging to Acholi communities.

Speaking at Got Apwoyo Nagric Ranch in Nwoya District, on the banks of the River Nile, he reported encouraging progress in the voluntary relocation exercise. A total of 1,649 head of cattle had already exited the region via Karuma Bridge, with a further 6,000 expected to leave by week’s end.

While acknowledging logistical difficulties, particularly the lack of transport, Maj Gen Busizoori appealed for continued cooperation. He reassured the herders that movement permits and veterinary services, including vaccinations, are being provided free of charge at all designated holding centres by district veterinary officers.

He commended security forces and local leaders for their disciplined enforcement of the orders and urged politicians to avoid meddling in the operation, stressing its importance to the national interest.

Praising those who had complied voluntarily, he called on others to follow suit to avoid disruptions. “There is an urgent need for additional transport support to facilitate the smooth evacuation of animals,” he added.

So far, nearly 700 cattle belonging to five individuals have been removed from Got Apwoyo Ranch, with another 1,616 accounted for at Aswa Ranch and other centres.

This is not the first time such action has been taken. In May 2023, President Yoweri Museveni issued Executive Order No. 3, which also called for the eviction of Balaalo herdsmen and a ban on commercial charcoal burning, both major concerns for local communities.

The current operation forms part of a wider government initiative to restore order, protect communal land, and preserve environmental resources across Northern Uganda.