President Museveni Criticizes Balaalo for Arrogance, Lack of Patriotisim

By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda Updated at 1051 EAT on Tuesday 8 July 2025

President Yoweri Museveni has strongly condemned what he described as the disorderly conduct and perceived arrogance of Balaalo pastoralists operating in northern, north-western, and eastern Uganda. He said their actions have fueled growing resentment and hostility among local communities.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, Museveni accused the Balaalo of several violations, including illegal land occupation, allowing livestock to graze on people’s crops, and obstructing public access to essential resources such as the Nile River.

He singled out the practice of kwonesa a local term describing livestock grazing on others’ cultivated land as a key source of tension, stating that such behavior reflects a lack of patriotism and threatens national unity.

Museveni pointed out that much of the crop destruction caused by Balaalo pastoralists stems from bringing cattle into areas without proper enclosures such as barbed wire or chain-link fencing. Even those who have fenced their land, he noted, often lack permanent water sources, forcing them to move their herds during the dry season and encroach on local farmland.

The president also accused some Balaalo of blocking public access routes to essential community facilities, erecting fences indiscriminately, and, in some instances, occupying government ranches illegally actions he said hinder key development initiatives such as cattle breeding programs.

“The Balaalo have even invaded government ranches,” Museveni said, warning that such encroachments not only disrupt national plans but also provoke local communities to demand similar access to protected lands.

President Museveni raised concerns about whether the pastoralists had secured the necessary cattle movement permits before relocating to the affected areas.

He called on issuing authorities to exercise greater diligence not just confirming the health of the animals, but also evaluating the destination’s readiness, including access to water, proper fencing, and the likelihood of encroaching on local farmlands.

Museveni also dismissed claims that his executive orders on the Balaalo issue are tribalistic, insisting that they are aimed solely at “illegal and irrational actors,” not law-abiding citizens.

To illustrate his point, he cited the example of Adyeeri, a Munyoro woman engaged in fruit farming in Nwoya District, who has been embraced by the local community due to her peaceful and lawful agricultural practices.

President Museveni reiterated that legal land ownership does not give anyone—Balaalo included the right to violate the rights of others. He stressed that even those who have legitimately purchased land in northern Uganda must not destroy crops or block access roads. “Crops do not kwonesa other crops,” he quipped, underscoring the contrast between the typically peaceful practices of crop farmers and the disruptive actions of some pastoralists.

He further explained that while local communities also face grazing disputes, they often resolve them through traditional systems, such as impounding stray cattle and imposing fines.

These systems, however, tend to break down when some Balaalo arrive with the backing of armed relatives in the army, intimidating locals and undermining customary justice.

“It is this kind of arrogance and lawlessness that necessitates a presidential executive order,” Museveni said.

His remarks come amid escalating frustration in northern Uganda, where leaders and residents have repeatedly decried illegal land use, encroachment, and the destruction of crops by migrating herders.

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