Museveni demands apology from Odonga Otto over ‘Balaalo insult’

President Yoweri Museveni has publicly demanded an apology from former Member of Parliament for Aruu County, Odonga Otto, over a comment made during a recent campaign in the Acholi sub-region. 

The President claimed that what was intended as praise by the former opposition legislator was, in fact, an insult that questioned his integrity and commitment to the rule of law.

Addressing members of the press from the Karamoja sub-region, where he is currently campaigning, President Museveni revealed that he felt demeaned by Otto’s apparent commendation regarding the recent expulsion of Balaalo cattle keepers from Acholi land.

“There is a boy called Odonga Otto in Acholi. He owes me a cow or I will take him to court because he insulted me. He thought he was praising me but actually it was an insult,” President Museveni stated. 

“When I was campaigning in the region, he thanked me for kicking my tribesmen the Balaalo out of Acholi land, and he implied that a man should not go against his tribe even when they are wrong.”

The President took strong exception to the implication that his actions were motivated by tribal allegiance rather than principle, which he says suggested a "low character" on his part.

“I asked him if he thought I was such a low character, that I will fail to defend what is right because my relatives are involved? I do not care about those relatives. If they are wrong, I will go against them.”

This verbal confrontation has renewed focus on the contentious issue of the Balaalo migrant herders. 

The President’s actions followed sustained pressure from Acholi leaders, including Mr Otto, to remove the herders whose free-ranging cattle caused widespread destruction of crops and land disputes.

In 2023, President Museveni had issued an Executive Order No. 3, directing the Balaalo with non-fenced farmland in the Greater North—including Acholi, Lango, and West Nile—to vacate the region within three weeks. 

The order was aimed at addressing conflicts stemming from environmental degradation, food insecurity, and the failure of herders to control their livestock.

Odonga Otto was a hardline and vocal campaigner for the eviction, with his stance reflecting the demands of the local community whose livelihoods were impacted by the conflict. 

The President’s order led to eviction operations intended to restore order and protect communal land rights, although the implementation faced some delays and legal challenges.