Uganda's Oil Boom Collides with Unresolved Evictions as Displaced Pastoralists Await Compensation

As Uganda approaches its first oil production, long-standing grievances from the nation's oil frontier are surfacing, particularly for hundreds of Balaalo pastoralists forcibly evicted in 2010. In the Buliisa district, these pastoralists, who were displaced to make way for oil infrastructure, remain uncompensated and excluded from the anticipated economic benefits.

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We were the only family in the area that had a bungalow, and it was demolished.

Enos Mubangizi recounted being woken by soldiers and police in December 2010, who confiscated his family's cattle and demolished their home. He was informed by General David Sejusa, then-coordinator of national intelligence, that the army was evicting all families and their livestock. An operation, codenamed Justice, reportedly forced out 640 families and seized 20,000 head of cattle, which constitute the primary wealth for the Balaalo people, a nomadic pastoralist group.

The confiscated cattle were mixed, making identification difficult. Some owners managed to save their livestock but lacked land to graze them. Many cows perished due to lack of pasture and water, while others were sold cheaply. Local pastors Stephen Mugisha and Sam Tumwine also lost their homes and community facilities, including a primary school and the foundation of a church. The police declined to comment when approached.

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We were the only family in the area that had a bungalow, and it was demolished.

The land in Buliisa, significant for oil discovery in 2006, became the site for crucial production infrastructure. The race to extract Uganda's "black gold" by the end of 2026 has highlighted the conflict over land and property claims. Almost 15 years on, the evicted herdsmen continue to tally their losses, awaiting compensation and accountability for the devastating evictions that transformed neighbors into adversaries.

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I wonder who the police are paying rent to.