IGAD countries lose more than US$9 billion in cattle rustling

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Five countries under the Inter Government Authority on Development – IGAD have lost more than US$9 billion (about UGX 33.2 trillion) in cattle rustling especially in the Normads, according to IGAD’s principal Researcher, Paul Gamba,

He disclosed this while closing IGAD summit on enhancing Animal Welfare in the IGAD region held at Lake Victoria Hotel in Entebbe on Sunday evening.

The summit was evaluating technics of ending cattle rustling in five member states including Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Cattle rustling is the theft of cattle using arms. According to Gamba, Sudan Loses US$5.6 billion, Kenya, US$500 million, Uganda US$110 Million, South Sudan US$2.7 billion while each person in Ethiopia loses up to US$13,000 in cattle rustling annually.

He says the huge losses resulting from cattle rustling negative affect the economies of the IGAD member states.

He suggests that a combination of mitigation measures including the adoption of new technologies of growing pasture, alternative income generating activities and educating those involved in the vice in activities such as farming to end the practice.

In 2002, the Uganda embarked on a disarmament exercise targeting the North Eastern part of the country most especially Karamoja to end cattle rustling.

The exercise, which involved the cordon and search operations, decreased the number of guns within civilian populations and cattle rustlers in Karamoja region.

Currently, rustlers from Turkana region in Kenya and Pokot in South Sudan use arms to rustle livestock from Karamoja and its neighboring areas.

Gamba notes that there is need to embark on a Joint disarmament exercise in the whole of the IGAD region to avoid armed rustlers from other countries raiding communities in Karamoja to steal cows.

A combination of measures has been put in place by the IGAD member states to end cattle rustling.

Among the measures agreed on by the countries include conducting joint disarmament exercises amongst all countries, increasing budgetary allocation by partner states on the Animal Industry department and the improvement in the

Joy Kabatsi, the Uganda’s State Minister in Charge of the Animal industry, says member states have for long underfunded Animal departments making them inconsequential despite their relevance in different countries.

Kabatsi wants government to increase funding to the sector as a way of making them consequential enough to act on several projects that include stopping cattle rustling.

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