Link road unites Dodoth, Turkana
Aug 28, 2005
The Karimojong in Uganda and Turkana in Kenya have been sworn enemies over the ownership of cattle. However, all that was put aside as they commissioned a new road linking the two communities. <b>Nathan Etengu</b> writes about the celebrations
Songs of joy filled Loopem village in the newly-created Kaabong district, Karamoja on July 20. The Dodoth, Karimojong and their rivals, the Turkana, converged during the commissioning of a 20-kilometre link road.
The road is symbolic of the peace that has been elusive in the border area for generations.
At the function, there was excitement as warriors cursed their parents for the age-old hatred. “Why don’t we kill our parents for initiating us into this type of violence?†asked Jonnie Lopuaaro, one of the Turkana warriors.
The Teuso, a Kalenjin sub-tribe on the Ugandan side opened the road with the help of OXFAM, a non-governmental organisation.
To give colour to the occasion, girls in their traditional wear, smeared their bodies with ghee to portray their availability and virginity. In a moment, youthful warriors saw themselves as victims of the past that was characterised with violence and cattle raids.
As the two communities sung and talked, three bulls donated by OXFAM, were roasted without skinning to bury the hatchet.
“If we have been fighting over cows, this road is the best cow that we should all milk for the good of our future generation,†Margaret Eregae, an elderly Turkana woman, exhorted.
The Catholic priest of Oporoi mission, Rev. Fr. Bernard Ruhnau alias
Apa Merieng, could not hide his joy as the sworn enemies shared a meal in a show of brotherhood. For 33 years, Rev. Ruhnauhe had only imagined peace as a distant dream.
“We have been yearning for talks with the Dodoth to reduce the conflict. Self-destruction would be minimal if people feared fire arms,†Fr. Ruhnau said.
He called for unconditional disarmament to remove illegal guns from the warriors.
The link road, which was started in 2003, is the brainchild of OXFAM and the Teuso
community.
Simon Nangiro, the Kotido OXFAM project manager, said he
facilitated the meeting between the Turkana, Dodoth and government representatives.
Kotido district officials hosted the meeting whose key outcome was the request for increased communication to improve security on either side of the border.
OXFAM then sponsored the construction of the road between Kamion in Uganda and Oropoi in Kenya.
The Teuso built the Uganda portion of the road that winds down the steep escarpment towards Turkana.
The Teuso, who were also prone to raids by either the Turkana or the Dodoth, are already key beneficiaries of the project as the road is set to bolster security situation in the border regions.
Thomas Lemu, the Kalapata sub-county chief, said the road had
enhanced trade between Kalapata and Oropoi. People from either side of the border could now move freely.
The Turkana from Kenya could cross to Kalapata in Uganda to buy food. Similarly, the Dodoth and Teuso could cross over the Kenyan side to buy domestic and household items.
Njenga Miiri, the Turkana district commissioner, said he was hosting many Teuso from Uganda who were displaced by famine and insecurity.
“While we take care of the Teuso in Kakuma, we expect you to take care of our people who come in search of pasture and water for their animals,†Njenga told Dodoth and Teuso leaders.
As a highlight of the benefits of the link road to either side, a wave of security is slowly reigning in Teuso. Improved agriculture and communal grain storage systems are signs of better times to come with peace.
OXFAM officials say the experience gained from the link road management committee led to the creation of Kamion farmers association. (KFA). The association has constructed the community grain store and grain mill.
“The cash earned during the road construction enabled many people from Kamionto to procure grain during the start of the year. This helped ward off the biting hunger from the previous year,†an OXFAM report, Kotido pastoral development programme report notes.
Walter Iriama, the Kotido chief administrative officer, and Benedict Lobang, the district engineer, said the road was a boost to the local government.
“In the past five financial years, we always budgeted for the construction of the road. Unfortunately, we were always hindered by lack of funds and insecurity,†Lobang said.
However, some officials from either side of the border still expressed fears that peace in the region will take more than the construction of the road.
“There is need for more sacrifice for this peace to be sustainable,†one of them said.
Kotido LC5 chairman, Adome Lokwii, said the road should be used as a source of business development and people’s survival but not for the infamous cattle raids.
Njenga told the Karimojong and Turkana that their acts of lawlessness had caused more destruction to themselves and retarded development for countless generations.
“Even the cattle, which you claim to own, cannot be legitimately yours. Rather, they are international. Today, they can be claimed by Ugandans from the Kenyans who owned them yesterday. However, Ethiopians would be entirely right to claim them tomorrow,†Njenga said.
He said development in the largely pastoral region would remain a mirage if the communities continue destroying each other with illegal guns.
“We have very little hope that the young generation, some of whom are here today, will create wealth for themselves because many of them have died and many will continue to die in cross-border conflicts,†added Njenga. According to him, the true spirit of the East African Community will only be realised in the region if the link road is used for the right purpose to the letter.
“As we think about the East African Community, you should be ready to make the road safe for our people to easily come and see fellow East
Africans in Kalapata and Oropoi. Let the Turkana and Dodoth clean the
way for me to freely come here,†said Njenga.
Ends
The road is symbolic of the peace that has been elusive in the border area for generations.
At the function, there was excitement as warriors cursed their parents for the age-old hatred. “Why don’t we kill our parents for initiating us into this type of violence?†asked Jonnie Lopuaaro, one of the Turkana warriors.
The Teuso, a Kalenjin sub-tribe on the Ugandan side opened the road with the help of OXFAM, a non-governmental organisation.
To give colour to the occasion, girls in their traditional wear, smeared their bodies with ghee to portray their availability and virginity. In a moment, youthful warriors saw themselves as victims of the past that was characterised with violence and cattle raids.
As the two communities sung and talked, three bulls donated by OXFAM, were roasted without skinning to bury the hatchet.
“If we have been fighting over cows, this road is the best cow that we should all milk for the good of our future generation,†Margaret Eregae, an elderly Turkana woman, exhorted.
The Catholic priest of Oporoi mission, Rev. Fr. Bernard Ruhnau alias
Apa Merieng, could not hide his joy as the sworn enemies shared a meal in a show of brotherhood. For 33 years, Rev. Ruhnauhe had only imagined peace as a distant dream.
“We have been yearning for talks with the Dodoth to reduce the conflict. Self-destruction would be minimal if people feared fire arms,†Fr. Ruhnau said.
He called for unconditional disarmament to remove illegal guns from the warriors.
The link road, which was started in 2003, is the brainchild of OXFAM and the Teuso
community.
Simon Nangiro, the Kotido OXFAM project manager, said he
facilitated the meeting between the Turkana, Dodoth and government representatives.
Kotido district officials hosted the meeting whose key outcome was the request for increased communication to improve security on either side of the border.
OXFAM then sponsored the construction of the road between Kamion in Uganda and Oropoi in Kenya.
The Teuso built the Uganda portion of the road that winds down the steep escarpment towards Turkana.
The Teuso, who were also prone to raids by either the Turkana or the Dodoth, are already key beneficiaries of the project as the road is set to bolster security situation in the border regions.
Thomas Lemu, the Kalapata sub-county chief, said the road had
enhanced trade between Kalapata and Oropoi. People from either side of the border could now move freely.
The Turkana from Kenya could cross to Kalapata in Uganda to buy food. Similarly, the Dodoth and Teuso could cross over the Kenyan side to buy domestic and household items.
Njenga Miiri, the Turkana district commissioner, said he was hosting many Teuso from Uganda who were displaced by famine and insecurity.
“While we take care of the Teuso in Kakuma, we expect you to take care of our people who come in search of pasture and water for their animals,†Njenga told Dodoth and Teuso leaders.
As a highlight of the benefits of the link road to either side, a wave of security is slowly reigning in Teuso. Improved agriculture and communal grain storage systems are signs of better times to come with peace.
OXFAM officials say the experience gained from the link road management committee led to the creation of Kamion farmers association. (KFA). The association has constructed the community grain store and grain mill.
“The cash earned during the road construction enabled many people from Kamionto to procure grain during the start of the year. This helped ward off the biting hunger from the previous year,†an OXFAM report, Kotido pastoral development programme report notes.
Walter Iriama, the Kotido chief administrative officer, and Benedict Lobang, the district engineer, said the road was a boost to the local government.
“In the past five financial years, we always budgeted for the construction of the road. Unfortunately, we were always hindered by lack of funds and insecurity,†Lobang said.
However, some officials from either side of the border still expressed fears that peace in the region will take more than the construction of the road.
“There is need for more sacrifice for this peace to be sustainable,†one of them said.
Kotido LC5 chairman, Adome Lokwii, said the road should be used as a source of business development and people’s survival but not for the infamous cattle raids.
Njenga told the Karimojong and Turkana that their acts of lawlessness had caused more destruction to themselves and retarded development for countless generations.
“Even the cattle, which you claim to own, cannot be legitimately yours. Rather, they are international. Today, they can be claimed by Ugandans from the Kenyans who owned them yesterday. However, Ethiopians would be entirely right to claim them tomorrow,†Njenga said.
He said development in the largely pastoral region would remain a mirage if the communities continue destroying each other with illegal guns.
“We have very little hope that the young generation, some of whom are here today, will create wealth for themselves because many of them have died and many will continue to die in cross-border conflicts,†added Njenga. According to him, the true spirit of the East African Community will only be realised in the region if the link road is used for the right purpose to the letter.
“As we think about the East African Community, you should be ready to make the road safe for our people to easily come and see fellow East
Africans in Kalapata and Oropoi. Let the Turkana and Dodoth clean the
way for me to freely come here,†said Njenga.
Ends