When 62-year-old Akello Rose of Iceme in Oyam District received news that the government planned to restock her homestead with five cows, she clasped her hands and whispered, “At last, our dignity is coming back.” For Akello, whose livestock were lost during the turbulent years of insurgency in Northern Uganda, the announcement felt like a restoration of pride — and a second chance at rebuilding life.
Her story mirrors that of thousands across the Lango Sub-region whose livelihoods were shattered by war and poverty. But now, with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s new pledge to restock each household with cattle, hope is stirring again.
Addressing an enthusiastic crowd at Boma Grounds in Oyam on Monday, the NRM presidential flag bearer announced a fresh plan to restock Northern Uganda with five cows per homestead. He said the initiative would ensure that no family is left behind in the nation’s economic transformation.
“Recently I called your leaders and asked why we don’t have a democratic formula for restocking. I proposed five cows per homestead. The majority supported it, and I have instructed the government to plan for it,” President Museveni said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The cattle restocking pledge comes alongside new investments in fish farming, infrastructure, and health services, marking a shift toward inclusive economic recovery in the North. The President said government would prioritize the tarmacking of key roads in Lango and elevate Oyam Health Centre IV to a referral hospital to improve service delivery.
“For the first time in 500 years, we have had peace. Before, this region suffered from tribal wars, but today, because of unity and a strong national army, Uganda is peaceful,” the President said, emphasizing that peace was the foundation for development.
At the event, Oyam leaders hailed Museveni for transforming livelihoods through the Parish Development Model (PDM). They credited the initiative with lifting thousands of families from subsistence to commercial production.
Bosco Onyik Ogwal, the NRM District Chairperson for Oyam, described the President’s visit as a “moment of pride and renewal.”
“Through PDM, the district has received Shs 15.26 billion, all disbursed to over 15,000 beneficiary households. This means thousands of families who were previously in the subsistence economy are now participating in the money economy,” Ogwal said.
Oyam, with a population exceeding 500,000 people, was ranked the best-performing PDM district in Northern Uganda and fourth nationally, according to a government assessment conducted by the Ministry of Local Government in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister and the PDM Secretariat.
The district has also benefited from expanded access to education and healthcare. There are now 109 government primary schools, 10 government secondary schools implementing Universal Secondary Education, and 44 health facilities, including Anyeke Health Centre IV. Safe water coverage stands at 78 percent, above the national rural average.
In recognition of these gains, local leaders requested that the government consider upgrading Oyam Health Centre IV to a general hospital and tarmacking the Loro–Minakulu and Oyam–Iceme roads to enhance connectivity.
President Museveni urged residents to use the existing infrastructure and government programmes to create wealth.
“If there is a tarmac road or a school in your area, are you going to sleep on the road or in the school? You go back home and work. If you’re not working for money, poverty will still find you,” he cautioned.
The President further announced increased funding for the PDM, pledging Shs 300 million per parish in town areas and Shs 150 million for rural ones, plus an additional Shs 15 million for monitoring and coordination.
Beyond infrastructure, Museveni said the government would expand fish farming in the North as an alternative to wetland rice cultivation.
“You will earn more from fishponds than rice. The government will invest heavily in fish farming in Lango, Teso, Busoga, and Bukedi,” he said.
As the sun set over Boma Grounds, chants of “PDM! Five cows!” rippled through the crowd — a sign that Museveni’s message of transformation had resonated deeply. For farmers like Akello Rose, those words were more than a campaign promise; they were a glimpse of renewed dignity and the return of a long-lost livelihood.