Sh36m disarmament project for Kaabong

Jul 01, 2008

A voluntary disarmament programme worth sh36m and funded by the President’s Office has been commissioned in Kaabong district.

By Daniel Edyegu

A voluntary disarmament programme worth sh36m and funded by the President’s Office has been commissioned in Kaabong district.

Under the seven-month project, a committee comprising local leaders, civil servants and elders will mobilise communities to hand over illegal guns to the army, the resident district commissioner, Godfrey Kiwanda, said during a function at Kalapata trading centre last week.

“The programme aims at disarming the Dodoth community. Each family will be required to sign a commitment letter indicating that they don’t possess any guns. In case you tell lies, you will be imprisoned.”

At the same event, Dodoth leaders asked the UPDF to beef up security to avoid cattle raids by the Jie warriors in the neighbouring Kotido district.

They told the 3rd Division commander, Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, that the Jie had taken advantage of the Dodoths’ being disarmed to terrorise them.

They cited the June 21 incident where Jie warriors raided 408 cattle and 16 donkeys that were grazing at Kabutakuri hills.

Benson Lokinei Agigi, the Kalapata sub-county chairman, said: “We are tired of ethnic clashes. We need peace to develop our district.”

Kankiriho assured the residents that the animals would be recovered.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});