By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Lainya County has enacted a new Executive Order, dated March 14, 2025, imposing local taxes on cattle herders and their migratory activities.
The county commissioner, Robert John Morris Lasu issued an order intended to address persistent tensions between local farmers and pastoralists.
On another hand the commissioner also targets to generate revenue for the county government.
It mandates a charge of 10,000 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) per head of cattle within the county.
Furthermore, herders wishing to graze their herds in Lainya County will be required to pay monthly grazing fees of 250,000 SSP per 170-head group.
The Executive Order also stipulates that herders involved in cattle auctions must pay 10% of auction fees to the county authorities.
Additional fees levied on cattle businesses in Lainya County include a monthly payment of four cows in kind as security fees to the county security department.
Herders will also be charged agricultural farmland compensation fees, the amount determined by assessing damage caused by livestock.
Commissioner John has directed the Local Government Council and the county security department to implement these orders.
The reasons behind the introduction of these taxes remain unclear. However, recent reports indicate ongoing conflicts between cattle herders/pastoralists and farmers in Central Equatoria State, resulting in fatalities on both sides.
The implementation of this order, like many other executive orders issued by state and national authorities, remains to be seen.
In 2017, President Salva Kiir issued a presidential decree directing cattle herders to vacate agricultural land and return to their areas of origin.
These orders, and others issued by the Central Equatoria State government, have largely been ignored by pastoral communities.
However, the order didn’t specify in his order if these taxes are inclusive of residents and nonresidents of Lainya County, recently Lainya County has registered an influx of herders with the State and beyond.
The order also specifically referred to cows neglecting other domestic animals that are also widely reared within the county.