By Emmanuel Okol

Elders and Civil society organizations in the Teso sub-region have urged President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni to use existing and corrupt free structures in the implementation of the Teso cattle restocking and rehabilitation programme.

The Elders and CSOs made the revelation on Thursday, 11-09-2025, during a consultative meeting with the cow rehabilitation committee team led by the Vice President H.E. Rtd Maj Jessica Rose Alupo Epel.

According to Elders, the use of existing structures such as LCIs, parish chiefs, and sub-county chiefs during the cattle restocking and rehabilitation period will help to deliver a rightful cattle restocking and rehabilitation program to the right beneficiaries.

Willy Bisanga, one of the elders in Soroti city and former NRM chairman of Soroti, said that the government should come up with good strategies for handling cattle restocking and rehabilitation programs in the Teso sub-region.

"As elders of Teso, we're ready to champion the presidential initiative to see that the program will reach the intended people in the community," Bisanga said.

Meanwhile, Ben Boharm Okiror, one of the CSOs and project coordinator for FAFO, who led the team, assured the committee of total support for the presidential initiative to reach its success in the community.

Okiror, in his submission, said the government should bring CSOs into the exercise so that they follow up on how the project is implemented in the region.

He added that, on the onset of cattle restocking and rehabilitation distribution, the distribution should be cleared and shared among all household members through electronic media platforms such as radios, Televisions, social media, and others.

In addition to that, the CSOs said the form should be on how the information is going to be shared and where the next of kin will sign.

Benson Ekue, the Director of the Public Affairs Center, said the mechanism of cattle restocking and rehabilitation should be clear, and the government must have ways of dealing with colleagues who are in court.

"We're worried about the criteria and mechanism the committee is going to use for selecting the marginalized families more so total orphans and persons with disabilities" he said.

He cautioned the leaders to distance themselves from politicking in presidential initiatives but start sensitizing and creating awareness to the community to understand the program.

Ekue, in his submissions, remembered VP Alupo on reviving the wetland, following the high degradation and factory stalling in the

However, Vice President H.E. Alupo applauded the Civil Society Organizations for embracing the presidential initiative.
Alupo said the cabinet of Uganda has resolved that no more factories will be built in the wetland.

She, however, called upon the community to unite and reclaim the conversation of the environment to bring back our state of nature, and it's our responsibility to preserve nature.

Alupo added that the government is committed and planning to launch an anti-tick vaccine soon, the reason is to avoid counterfeits, which are dangerous to both crops and animals, even to human beings.

"This program will, if implemented, lead us to value additional plants which are beef, milk, hides and skins, horns and bones, which boost the production aspect in the region," she added.

VP Alupo has assured the Teso commitment on the social and economic aspect, following infrastructure in roads, airport, railway, and water in order to boost the exportation of the products.
 

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