140 heads of cattle stolen from Western Kenya

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in the Elgon and Sebei sub regions are hunting for rustlers who stole over 140 heads of cattle stolen from Western Kenya.

According to reports, unknown people raided villages in Kenya over the weekend and rustled 143 heads of cattle and headed to Mount Elgon National Park.

Isaac Lulaaba Wangwe, the Sironko Resident District Commissioner says that he received a call from his counterpart in Kapchorwa district informing him that a group of people had stolen animals from Kenya and crossed into Uganda.

He said that the district has since launched a search for the cattle and the rustlers adding that they have since recovered only 7 animals and 6 suspects arrested.

Lulaaba says that they have information that the racket involves people from Bufumbo in Mbale district, Sironko, Bukwo and Bulambuli among others.

Kenneth Twoyem, the Kapchorwa Resident Commissioner says that the culprits use the Mount Elgon Forest as a hiding place.

He said that a joint security team from Kween, Kapchorwa and Sironko are still hunting for the animals and hand them over to Kenyan authorities.

In January, security personnel in Bugisu region noted that the stolen animals are allegedly transported through Mount Elgon National Park to Bulambuli and Sironko districts from where they are transferred to Mbale, Namisindwa and some districts in Bukedi region.

In 2019, President Yoweri Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate peaceful coexistence between the pastoral communities across the border.

This followed cross-border cattle raids leading to an increase in the number of animals stolen and the raids becoming more frequent, leading to loss of lives.

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