The Gulu High Court has made a decision regarding a case challenging President Museveni’s executive order to evict cattle keepers, known as Balaalo, from northern Uganda.
Judge Phillip Odoki presided over the case and dismissed it because the petitioner, Mr. Leonard Otee, did not follow through with the prosecution against the Attorney General.
Judge Odoki explained that Mr. Otee, who represented himself as an advocate, failed to submit written submissions as directed by the court. Therefore, the case was dismissed, and costs were awarded to the respondent.
Mr. Otee’s lawsuit, filed on November 29 the previous year, aimed to declare the eviction of Balaalo without fenced farms from northern Uganda unconstitutional. He argued that Balaalo, like all Ugandans, have the right to reside anywhere in the country.
The petition also highlighted that the executive order violated Article 29(2)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees every Ugandan the right to move freely throughout Uganda and settle in any part of the country.
Additionally, Mr. Otee emphasized that the eviction of Balaalo constitutes a serious violation of human rights since they are citizens of Uganda entitled to live freely in any part of the country.
President Museveni issued the executive order, stating that Balaalo have illegally settled in the Acholi, Lango, and Teso regions. He warned that those who refuse to leave could face seven years in prison.
Furthermore, President Museveni described the Balaalo as “indisciplined” cattle keepers who unlawfully move from various regions within Uganda and neighboring countries, such as Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda, to other parts of Uganda.
