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By Isaac Jans Okeng-Abim, Karamoja
“They promised us 16 goats each. We received five, and within a month, they were all dead.”
Rev. Caleb Omony inside his office in Abim Sub-county. His voice carries the weight of broken promises. “Our community was supposed to receive 1,420 goats. We got 430. Most of them arrived sick, and within weeks, they had infected and killed over 1,000 of our local goats. What was meant to lift us from poverty only deepened our despair.”
A Vision of Prosperity Turned to Dust
In December 2021, Uganda’s Parliament approved a supplementary budget of Shs 39.948 billion with a bold vision: to bring peace and livelihoods to Karamoja, the northeastern sub-region long plagued by insecurity and poverty.
Under this package, Shs 25 billion was earmarked to buy goats for distribution; another Shs 8 billion was set aside for 100,000 iron sheets; the rest would go to mobilization and sensitization.
The beneficiaries, primarily “Karachunas” (former cattle rustlers who voluntarily handed over arms), were each promised 16 goats under this deal. At first glance, this was more than aid, it seemed like a strategic intervention to transform lives.
Francis Lowoth, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Karamoja Affairs at the Office of the Prime Minister, recalls the President’s vision: “The President wanted goats that could survive, those resistant to disease and drought, especially the Gala goats. His interest was specifically in the Gala goats. The idea was good. So we requested funds. The total request was very large. They released the first batch of 39 billion shillings.”
The Numbers Game: Promises vs Reality
In Abim District, the OPM goat project was designed to distribute 18,000 goats across the region. Selection criteria required that 15 youths per parish each receive 16 goats. The programme also aimed to promote sustainability: beneficiaries were expected to breed the goats and pass on offspring to other community members.
However, according to district-level and sub-county sources, only 4,100 goats were actually delivered, a fraction of what was planned. “The project was supposed to cover all sub-counties gradually,” explains Lowoth. “But districts distributed carelessly, selecting a few people without following procedure.
In Abim, where there were no karachunas, the district leaders decided to make people pick lots. The project was no longer for Karachunas; everyone was allowed. Some leaders even influenced the lists, sending names of relatives.”
Two Sub-counties, Two Different Realities
Morulem: The Waiting Game.
“Each of the 15 youths per parish was supposed to get 16 goats, but none reached Morulem,” says Mr. Opio Cecerino, LC3 Chairperson of Morulem Sub-county, his voice tinged with frustration. “We even held meetings with district officials to demand answers. We were told to wait for our goats, but they never came.”
Opio alleges corruption played a role in the shortfall: “I am sure the money meant for our goats was eaten by a few corrupt individuals. The letter from the district, which had 12 signatures, was clearly misleading. In future, government programmes should fully involve local leaders. We are the ones answerable to the community.”
Abuk: The Sickness That Spread.
By contrast, Abuk Town Council did receive goats, but the quality and management of the animals raise serious concerns. “The goats were delivered in poor condition,” reports Mr. Okello Richard Walter, LC3 Chairperson of Abuk Town Council. “Some were sick, and others died during transport to beneficiaries’ homes. On the day of distribution, all the animals had red eyes; the next day the eyes turned green, and they began dying.”
The main problem, according to Okello, was the violation of veterinary protocol: “By law, animals should spend at least two to three weeks in a holding ground for vaccination and monitoring before distribution. But these goats were taken directly from the trucks and distributed immediately. This negligence contributed to their death.”
The Paper Trail: Contradictions at Every Turn.
Documents indicate that Abim District previously informed the OPM that all goats had been successfully distributed and that there were no deficits. These communications stand in sharp contrast with field reports from sub-counties.
“The production officer received and verified the goats as the technical officer, and only seven sub-counties received them: Orwamuge, Lotuke, Awach, Abuk, Abim sub-county, Abim Town Council, and Camkok sub-counties out of 16 sub-counties,” says the Principal Assistant Secretary of Abim District Local Government.
When asked about the discrepancy, the official explained: “The goats that were brought… most of them died. And they even killed the local goats that were already here. We communicated this to the OPM. They said they would compensate, but until now, the goats have not been brought.”
The Human Cost: Beyond Numbers.
For the Karachunas, the former cattle rustlers, and other beneficiaries, the goats were supposed to signal a new beginning. But for many, that promise soured quickly. Charles Owilli, the LC2 chairperson of Abuk Town Council, shares his personal experience:
“Most of us lost the goats, including myself. I was left with only four goats, which I later sold to pay my children’s school fees. Some of the few goats that survived the disease were reportedly stolen by Karamojong warriors, deepening the losses suffered by beneficiaries.”
The beneficiaries held a meeting with a team from the OPM office to express their frustrations. “During the meeting, the locals advised that instead of supplying them with sick or weak goats, the ministry should give them money so they could purchase local, more resilient goats on their own, or alternatively invest the funds in crop production, which they believed would yield more reliable benefits,” Owilli recalls.
Where the System Broke Down.
Putting together all the pieces, several systemic failures emerge: Procurement Weakness.
According to a Monitor report, many of the goats procured in this program were very expensive, up to Shs 800,000 each. That was a red flag: local leaders and MPs say goats in Karamoja normally cost Shs 100,000 to 150,000.
“OPM costing:
Improved goat: 700,000 UGX; Gala goat: 3.1 million UGX; Another type cost 800,000 UGX,” explains Lowoth. “The costs were inflated. Verification teams approved deliveries even when goats were small or sick. District veterinary officers certified everything as ‘OK.’ Since they signed, OPM proceeded to pay suppliers.”
Animal Health & Mortality.
When the first batches arrived, veterinary officers raised alarms. A community development officer in Kotido, David Amoding, told reporters that many goats had Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a viral disease that ravages small ruminants.
In Abim Sub-county, the situation was dire.
“Within one week, the goats started dying,” says Rev. Omony. “Within a month, most of them had died. Worse still, when the beneficiaries mixed the government goats with their local goats, the sickness spread. Over 1,000 local goats died as a result.”
Oversight & Accountability Gaps.
The project suffered from little to no local oversight or training for recipients. There were delayed or opaque audit processes; the IGG only began investigations in March 2023.
“District officials also compromised the process. They signed documents claiming all goats were delivered, even presented this in Parliament,” says Lowoth. “The real problem is leaders, they saw the problems but kept quiet.”
The Investigation: Too Little, Too Late?
In March 2023, the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) launched a probe into OPM’s handling of relief items. A six-member committee, chaired by Justus Kaleebi, was tasked with investigating procurements for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years.
IGG’s investigation explicitly includes allegations of corruption in both the iron sheet and goat-distribution components. According to the commission, whistleblowers provided information that goats were bought at inflated prices, delivered sick, or never distributed.
But by the time complaints came, morality issues were already in court (iron sheets scandal). “Parliament decided not to debate the goat report because it clashed with ongoing iron sheet court cases,” Lowoth explains.
“The report exists under the Local Government & Public Service Committee chaired by the Woman MP for Adjumani, but it was not debated, so it’s not publicly accessible.”
The Financial Loss.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament weighed in with sharp criticism. According to the Nile Post, PAC members argued that over 73,000 goats were procured under the Shs 25 billion program, but all have since died. They estimate that the death of these goats amounts to a financial loss of more than Shs 19 billion. This figure emerged during hearings into the Auditor General’s report for the 2022/2023 financial year.
A Better Way Forward
Ambrose Toolit, Executive Director of Grassroots Alliance for Rural Development (GARD), offers a perspective on what went wrong: “Contrary to some of the programmes where decisions are made without involving the local community or asking about their needs, my appeal is that any programme or project meant for local people must involve them in choosing what they want.”
He continues: “If you look at Karamoja, it is not uniform. We have agricultural zones: the western belt, which is very green and productive,they require production-related support; the middle belt; and the dry belt. This means that any intervention must be structured according to the needs determined by the geographical setup.”
The Aftermath: Broken Trust and Empty Promises.
As pressure mounted, some senior OPM officials and local administrative officers have been referred for criminal investigation. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, through OPM’s Principal Communications Officer Joyce Babirye, publicly ordered that both the goat and iron-sheet procurement scandals be investigated concurrently.
But for communities in Abim, these actions come too late.
“We have a healthy selection system,” says Rev. Omony. “LC1 chairpersons call village meetings, and the community chooses the beneficiaries. They assess who is most in need. The selection is done by the majority decision. It is not done by the chairman, sub-county, or council. And we have not received any complaints, meaning the process was fair.”
The fairness of the selection process, however, mattered little when the goats themselves failed. “First, this project has not raised people’s living standards,” Rev. Omony concludes. “We received fewer goats, 5 instead of 16. We still have a balance of 11 goats per beneficiary that was never delivered.
The goats also brought diseases that killed over 1,000 local goats. Wildlife destroyed all the crops. There is no food. I suggest that the government should provide relief food while we wait for compensation.”
The Way Forward: Demands & Lessons.
The fallout of the scandal has prompted several calls:
1. Forensic Audit: Karamoja MPs insist that the Presidential Affairs Committee commission a full forensic audit to trace funds, suppliers, and accountable persons.
2. IGG Transparency: The ongoing IGG investigation must produce public results. Whistle-blower records, contract documents, and findings should be made available.
3. Beneficiary Compensation: Families who lost goats (or never received their full allotment) deserve compensation, whether through replacement, funds, or alternative support.
4. Veterinary Systems Strengthening: Future livestock interventions must include quarantine, vaccination, and follow-up support.
5. Procurement Reform: Tender processes should be more transparent, with local supplier participation and stricter performance monitoring.
A Betrayed Promise.
When President Museveni and Parliament launched the Karamoja goat initiative, many saw a chance for a fresh start, a symbolic end to rustling, and a new chapter of stability and prosperity. But now, in communities across Abim, the promise feels hollow.
Hundreds of millions were spent; tens of thousands of goats bought, but for many, all they received was sickness, loss, and disillusionment. As Rev. Omony looks out over his community, his voice carries the weight of their collective disappointment: “They may assume they supported us, but here in Abim Sub-county, the situation has become worse. We received fewer goats, and the few we received caused losses.”
The “goats that never came” is not just a story of missing livestock or missing money; it’s a story of broken trust, failed governance, and the heartbreak of a region waiting for change. As the IGG investigation continues and MPs press for justice, people in Abim are left to ask: Will those responsible finally be held to account, or will this be another chapter of unmet promises?”
Story Supported by African Center for Media Excellence-ACME
