The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Napak, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF has singled out Rupa Sub County in Moroto district for harbouring a big number of cattle rustlers terrorising neighbouring districts. Major Peter Mugisa, the UPDF 3rd division spokesperson, says that being at the border with Turkana in Kenya, Rupa Sub County hosts rustlers terrorizing Moroto district and neighbouring districts.
“Out of four the Sub counties in Moroto namely Katikekile, Nadunget and Tapac, Rupa has become a safe haven for criminals raiding animals left and right,” he said. According to Major Mugisa, the cattle thieves in Rupa collaborate with Turkana warriors to raid animals in other districts. He, however, says that the army has come up with new strategies to get rid of criminal gangs from Rupa Sub County.
“In our new deployment we are putting our main focus in Rupa Sub County because we have learnt that Rupa sub-county is a source where criminals come from, “he said. In February this year, UPDF flashed cattle rustlers from Rupa Sub County who had taken over government schools. Sixteen warriors were arrested and one gun with 30 rounds of ammunition recovered from the warriors.
Marry Nakiru, a resident of Kaloi village in Rupa Sub County wondered why UPDF managed to stabilize Somalia but has failed to stabilize Karamoja. “We are wondering why the army is too lenient with these armed warriors who have made people live a complicated life,” she said.
Timothy Lokubal, a resident of Kidepo village in Rupa Sub County, says that there is a need to carry out serious disarmament in Karamoja. According to Lokubal, the situation has been worsened by unrecovered guns that inmates stole from Moroto government prisons.
In September last year, 240 prisoners escaped from the prisons with 15 guns and 480 rounds of ammunition after overpowering prison staff. The prison spokesperson, Frank Baine claims that only six guns have so far been recovered and 60 escapees re arrested.
Residents believe that the guns that prisoners took from prisons are the ones being used to terrorize the region.
Jenifer Nakut, another resident says that before the prisons break, Karamoja region was very peaceful compared to the current situation. “Whenever it reaches evening, we are not sure of our lives because these armed warriors nowadays open doors and remove everything and kill the family members,” he said.
According to Nakut, it’s no longer about animals; the warriors even target homes without animals.
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