The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Moroto , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local leaders in Moroto district are urging peace dialogue with the Turkana leadership to foster better strategies for peaceful coexistence. Following President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s executive order dated May 2023, joint security forces have removed all Turkana pastoralists who were grazing in the Karamoja sub-region.
The Turkana were held responsible for the continuous influx of firearms into Karamoja, despite ongoing disarmament efforts and the killing of Ugandan geologists.
This ban has had a significant impact on the Turkana pastoralists, whose animals had thrived in Karamoja. Now, the eviction has forced them back to their dry, waterless land, putting their cows at high risk of starvation.
In response to this situation, a group of local leaders in Moroto district has appealed to the President of Uganda to consider a dialogue with the Turkana.
The aim is to find solutions to save the Turkana cows that are suffering from starvation. These leaders highlight the shared pastoral nature of their communities and stress the importance of preventing the Turkana cows from dying of hunger. They argue that this action is not only humane but also critical for maintaining peace and preventing potential conflicts in Karamoja.
John Baptist Lokii, the Matheniko County Member of Parliament in Moroto district, expresses support for the presidential directives but also voices concerns. He believes that if the Turkana lose their cows due to drought, it could lead to insecurity in the Karamoja region as the Turkana may resort to raiding. He advocates for cross-border discussions to address this problem.
David Koryang, the LC5 chairperson of Moroto district, emphasizes the need for cross-border peace dialogues to understand the Turkana community’s commitment to peace-building. He points out that most Turkana Pastoralists have been evicted without understanding the purpose of the security operations. Koryang believes that the Turkana leadership should be engaged to find a way forward.
Mary Akol, a female councilor representing Nakiloro parish in Rupa Sub County, argues that the eviction has strained the Turkana-Karimojong relationship. She believes that the Turkana are peaceful people who were inadvertently drawn into criminal activities by some Karimojong who were hosting them.
“We all know that Turkana people don’t misuse their guns, it is purposely for protection, but when they entered Uganda, our very own people involved them into these criminal acts yet it was not their intention.”Akol lamented. She calls for the Turkana leadership to advocate for peace dialogues at the state level to save the local community’s cows. As of Friday, security forces confiscated 138 cows, 161 goats and sheep, and 19 donkeys from the Turkana Pastoralists after clashes.
Lt Col Patrick Obongo, the Operations commander in the 34th battalion, states that the Turkana have provoked the security forces during operations. He adds that the Turkana returned only three guns on Friday, and their cows were released, as there was no one to take charge of them. The Turkana were ordered to leave Karamoja immediately.
Meanwhile, the Turkana pastoralists have pleaded for permission to graze their cattle in Karamoja, as they lack pasture and water in their homeland. Etapar Lokwang, a Pastoralist from Orom village in Loima district, Turkana County said it is better for their animals to die in Uganda under the watch of security forces than taking them back to die in Kenya due to starvation.
However, Justin Tuko, the Moroto Deputy Resident District Commissioner, insists on no dialogues until the Turkana leadership produces the killers of the Ugandan geologists.
Maj Abdullah Kalicha, the Kenya Liaison Officer said that they are committed to tracing the killers of the geologists. He noted that Turkana is a vast land and not easy to find the culprits but already some names have been forwarded to the security in Kenya for further action.
In February 2023, a high-level delegation from Uganda and Kenya met in Moroto district to review a cross-border memorandum of understanding (MOU). This MOU, signed by former Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2019, aimed to promote peaceful coexistence, resource sharing, and socioeconomic development in the regions of Turkana, West Pokot in Kenya, and Karamoja in Uganda. However, the memorandum has faced violations before it could be fully implemented by the two states.
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