Case against men accused of illegal entry into Balaalo farm in Gulu dismissed

The case against 17 people who had been charged of  destroying fencing materials belonging to the cattle herdsmen commonly known as ‘Balalo’ has been dismissed by the Gulu chief magistrate Said Barigye in Gulu District.

The accused were arrested in November 2023 and later released on bail.

The  Gulu chief magistrate Said Barigye dismissed the case after  the complainant failed to appear in court.

Tears of joy filled the eyes of the accused as the court ruled in their favour.

“This was a case that came out from the issue of Balalo must go and it was not surprising to us," Christpher Kidega, the lawyer to the accused said.

“Despite the dismissal, we are not feeling happy. Our district is bleeding and we are also  not free in the land, cutting of trees is very rampant, heavy trucks coming to our district day and night,”  said Betty Ocwee, one of the accused.

The 17 were arrested in November 2023 after a video went viral on social media showing them destroying fencing materials of the balalo in Gulu district.

This was after president Yoweri Museveni had given executive order number 3 for all balalo who do not have properly fenced land to leave Acholi sub region with immediate effect.

However, Patrick Okello ,one of the accused  said nothing in their act was tribal or in any way discriminative or having another interest, rather they did it  in a bid to protect and preserve their mother land.

“What we are saying is that  many people are trying to blackmail us that we are being tribal and anti-government but  that is not the case. It  is about a communal land, and the procedure to acquire a communal land is set by the law.”

Laker Gloria Grace an activist says she has been following the case from the time of it’s birth(November 2023) noting that justice has been served.