By Derrick Omoding
The “No Cow – No Vote” campaign, spearheaded by opposition MPs Jonathan Ebwalu and Joan Alobo Acom, aims to pressure the Ugandan government to fulfill its promises of compensating war claimants in the Teso Sub-Region.
The campaign seeks to mobilize citizens to withhold their votes from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) if the compensation remains incomplete.
In 2020, President Museveni launched a cattle compensation initiative for war victims in the Teso, Acholi, and Lango sub-regions. However, the process has been slow, with only partial compensation given to a few, leaving many victims awaiting justice. This has led to growing frustration and the launch of the campaign to demand action.
Recently, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Norbert Mao, admitted that the government would need UGX 900 billion to settle the compensation claims, making it difficult to complete the process soon. This admission has further fueled the dissatisfaction among the people of Teso.
Jonathan Ebwalu, MP for Soroti City West Division, expressed disappointment over the issue, noting that the compensation has been ignored by parliament and is absent from this year’s financial budget.
He stated that the failure to address the issue shows that the people will continue to wait in vain for justice.
“We are launching this campaign to let the government know that the matter of cattle compensation is key. Government must pay the cows before coming to ask for votes of Teso,” Ebwalu emphasized. He vowed to mobilize against President Museveni until the compensation is fully addressed.
Soroti Woman MP Joan Alobo Acom also expressed her concern over the delayed compensation, stating that the elders of Teso have placed their hopes in the region’s leaders.
She condemned the government’s lack of response and cited further concerns about poverty, poor education, and inadequate healthcare in the region.
Alobo mentioned that the government’s promise to build a new referral hospital in Soroti after Dr. Epodoi’s successful surgery to separate conjoined twins has yet to be fulfilled.
Last month, some Teso elders were reportedly arrested in Kampala for meeting with leaders of the National Unity Platform (NUP) to advocate for their compensation.
A peaceful protest is expected to take place in Soroti on March 7, 2025, with opposition supporters gathering at Soroti Public Gardens for engagements with the FDC party President Patrick Amuriat Oboi expected to be part of the event.
Alobo warned the police against interfering with the protest, stressing that they had already notified the authorities of their lawful activities.
The “No Cow – No Vote” campaign is gaining momentum as the opposition continues to pressure the government to address the plight of war claimants in Teso.
