By Ben MusanjeThe Office of the Prime Minister has ordered local authorities in 11 districts and cities to trigger criminal proceedings against officials accused of manipulating beneficiary lists and demanding money from people seeking to benefit from the government’s cattle restocking programme.The directive comes as the government prepares to release Shs100 billion for the programme this financial year, following the disbursement of Shs80 billion during the previous financial year to parishes in the Lango, Acholi and Teso sub-regions.Alex Kakooza, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, said investigations into the programme had uncovered cases of ineligible people being placed on beneficiary lists, while some Parish Development Committee members allegedly demanded money from intended beneficiaries.Kakooza said OPM had written to the affected local governments and instructed their chief administrative officers to initiate criminal proceedings against officials implicated in the alleged irregularities.The affected areas are Gulu City, Amuria, Ngora, Lira City, Kumi, Omoro, Gulu, Kole, Oyam, Dokolo and Apac.“Now, in these districts, we found a number of people who were not supposed to be beneficiaries,” Kakooza said during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala on Thursday.He said some beneficiaries were allegedly selected despite not being residents of the respective districts or parishes, while others were reportedly required to pay money to gain access to beneficiary lists.In some cases, Kakooza said, officials allegedly demanded a portion of the money after beneficiaries had received government funds.The alleged abuses have raised concerns over how the next Shs100 billion allocation will be administered, particularly because beneficiary selection is largely handled at parish level.Shs80bn already disbursedKakooza said government had already distributed the Shs80 billion allocated in the previous financial year to parishes across Lango, Acholi and Teso.“We have done that and that money has been delivered. Largely it has been delivered and we now want to embark on this year’s disbursement,” he said.The new allocation represents an increase of Shs20 billion, or 25 per cent, compared with last year’s funding.However, the rollout comes as the programme faces other difficulties on the ground, particularly in Apac, where beneficiaries have reportedly struggled to find affordable cattle.According to reports following an oversight visit by Minister of State for Economic Monitoring Sandra Santa Alum on September 14, 302 beneficiaries in Apac had received Shs5 million each to acquire livestock.But rising cattle prices have made the funds less effective for restocking.Apac District Chairperson Ambrose Agec Opio said a calf in Lango currently costs between Shs2 million and Shs2.8 million, compared with approximately Shs600,000 to Shs1 million before the eviction of migrant Balaalo herders.At the current prices, the Shs5 million grant could purchase fewer cattle than beneficiaries had previously expected, while restrictions on livestock movement have further narrowed their options for sourcing animals from outside the region.The cattle shortage and movement restrictions follow government measures against migrant Balaalo pastoralists in northern Uganda under Operation Harmony, following President Museveni’s Executive Order No. 2 of 2025.The directive was issued amid concerns over conflicts associated with unregulated livestock movements into northern Uganda.The latest concerns therefore place the restocking programme under pressure from both sides: beneficiary-selection irregularities at the local government level and limited access to affordable cattle for some recipients on the ground.Kakooza said the government would pursue the alleged cases of misconduct while proceeding with the next phase of funding.He also offered the media access to copies of the letters sent to the affected local governments, saying the alleged violations differed from one case to another. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).