Uganda hands over suspected Turkana cattle rustlers to Kenya

Mar 07, 2023

The suspects were arrested in Karamoja between February 20 and 26, 2023, alongside their kinship, the native Matheniko, in different cordon and search operations, the Government said on Monday, March 6.

The suspects, who are of the Turkana ethnic group, were handed over during an exercise at Moroto army barracks.

John Masaba
Journalist @New Vision

UPDF | CATTLE | RUSTLERS

MOROTO - Uganda security forces have released from custody six suspected Turkana cattle rustlers and handed them over to Kenyan authorities.

The suspects, who are of the Turkana ethnic group, were handed over during an exercise at Moroto army barracks.

Uganda was led by Brig Gen Felix Busizoori, the 3rd Division deputy commander of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), while the Kenya side was led by Peter Eripete, the county secretary and head of Public service , Turkana County Government.

The suspects were arrested in Karamoja between February 20 and 26, 2023, alongside their kinship, the native Matheniko, in different cordon and search operations, the Government said on Monday, March 6.

Uganda was led by Brig Gen Felix Busizoori, the 3rd Division deputy commander of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), while the Kenya side was led by Peter Eripete, the county secretary and head of Public service , Turkana County Government.

Uganda was led by Brig Gen Felix Busizoori, the 3rd Division deputy commander of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), while the Kenya side was led by Peter Eripete, the county secretary and head of Public service , Turkana County Government.

"Following recent persistent security and diplomatic engagements between Ugandan and Kenyan authorities, we officially handed over six suspects in the gesture of EAC (East African Community) partnership as a sign of peaceful co-existence and brotherhood," Busizoori said.

He urged the Turkana County Government to penalise the suspects for abusing the peaceful co-existence and cross-border security arrangements.

"This diplomatic pardon should not be taken for granted as it may lead to impunity. Those who will again be violating Ugandan laws will be arrested, arraigned before courts and charged with their offences," Busizoori said.

He added that the native eight Matheniko, who were arrested alongside the Turkana, will be subjected to Uganda's Courts of law.

On the same occasion, Eripete said: "I thank the President of Uganda, the people and joint security commanders for according to the Turkana pastoralists another chance to graze their animals in Ugandan territory".

He added that officials on either side of the border of the two countries continue to work together to find ending solutions on how best the Turkana pastoralists can live in harmony with their host communities in Uganda.

 

"We are not allowing anybody to come and cause criminality in the host country. Once criminality is caused on whichever side of the border, that suspect is subjected to host country's laws," Eripete said.

Also present at the event were Brigade commanders, Lomodo Tulele, Turkana County Legal Officer, Maj Abdullah Kalicha, Kenya Liaison Officer to Uganda and senior officers.

The Karamojong and Turkana pastoralists have co-existed and shared water and pasture in the grazing belts in Uganda as guided and spelt out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two EAC countries.

However, some armed Turkana elements have continued to violate the much-desired MoU since they engage themselves in criminal and rustling activities in Uganda.

"These continued violations among others is the reason both Ugandan and Kenyan authorities meet to discuss, implement and expedite security measures for peaceful co-existence and brotherhood to foster socio-economic transformation and development within neighbouring pastoralists communities of EAC," Busizoori said. 

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