The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Moses Kizige has cautioned Karimojong pastoralists against a mentality of exaggerating the numbers of the animals lost whenever they are raided.
Minister Kizige cautioned the Karimojong on Monday during a meeting with the Matheniko pastoralists in Moroto district and said exaggeration of numbers of raided animals was affecting the smooth recovery and distribution of animals to the rightful owners whenever the army recovers them from the raiders.
According to Minister Kizige, in most cases whenever the raiders raid may be two cows, the owners of the raided cows increase the number and claim 200 cows raided.
“Our people don’t tell the truth when their animals are raided, we have learnt that when the raiders steal one cow from a kraal, the kraal leaders exaggerate the numbers of the raided cows from one to 100 heads making it very difficult for the army to trace and this must stop,” he said.
The meeting was called following the persisting cattle rustling that has seen clashes between the Karimojong and the army.
Simon Lokol, a kraal leader of Pupu village acknowledges that there could be some people who don’t tell the truth about the number of animals raided in their kraals but urged the minister not to generalize.
“That’s why we as kraal leaders want to work with the security forces and we get rid of these criminals,” he said.
Over the last three months, the UPDF has been clashing with the Karimojong who have resumed cattle rustling after ten years of peace following the successful disarmament in the region.
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