Some of the long horned Ankole cattle being grazed by pastoralists
Gulu District Security Committee has ordered all cattle farmers to fence off their grazing lands. Initially, only balalo (pastoralists ) herdsmen were required to fence their grazing lands and provide watering points within their kraals following concerns about the destruction of crops, encroachment, land conflicts, and fueling insecurity among others due to open grazing lands.
Now, Stephen Odong Latek, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner and head of the District Security Committees, says that the condition to fence off all grazing lands has now been extended to all cattle farmers.
He notes that this is a resolution from the security committee following the concealment of the balalo herdsmen by natives of the area. Latek told Uganda Radio Network-URN on Monday that they found this prudent in order to fully meet the President`s directive against marauding animals and the destruction of crops by errant livestock owners.
The directive will take effect two weeks after the ongoing eviction of the balalo herdsmen from communal lands in the district, which ends next week.
According to Latek, the security committee has started engaging the herdsmen in the district noting that those who will not follow the directive will have their animals impounded and auctioned.
Irene Lamwaka, the Palaro Sub County councillor and a crop farmer in the area has welcomed the directive. She, however, says native herdsmen might find it difficult to comply with the directives because they are financially incapacitated.
Over the weekend, at least 500 head of cattle belonging to the balalo herdsmen left Gulu district in the second phase of their eviction from the communal lands.
