Army officers held over cattle theft
Mar 25, 2008
TEN UPDF soldiers, including a commanding officer, have been arrested over theft of cattle recovered during disarmament operations in Karamoja.
By Barbara Among
TEN UPDF soldiers, including a commanding officer, have been arrested over theft of cattle recovered during disarmament operations in Karamoja.
A UPDF investigation report of March 21, said: “Some army officers have been conniving with some local leaders to sell recovered cattle from disarmament operations in Karamoja.â€
The probe was ordered by the UPDF 3rd Division commander following several complains from the population. Col. Paul L’Okech chaired the board of inquiry.
Most incidents happened in Kapedo, Kathile and Karenga in Kotido district, where UPDF’s 65th and 45th battalions have been operating.
Those arrested last week and now in detention include Maj. Bakubanjja Byaruhanga, the commander of the 49th Battalion, and Capt. George Byaruhanga, the operations and training officer of the 65th Battalion.
Also detained are intelligence officer Lt. Edgar Mwesigiwa and Pte. Walter Bweka, both of the 405th Battalion, Lt. Bosco Maliamungu and Lt. Yusuf Kabu, both of the 49th Battalion, Lt. Tom Otim, the officer in charge of ‘C’ company, and intelligence officer Lt. Enock Masinguzi.
Battalion commander Maj. Byaruhanga admitted to slaughtering and ordering the eating of six recovered head of cattle according to the report. Lt. Tom Otim was involved in selling off eight bulls together with Kathile, kraal leader John Omuliria.
The 49th battalion intelligence officer is named in the loading of a truck full of cattle at Nattaba detachment, which was driven away by a man only identified as Ochanga.
Capt. George Byaruhanga confessed to having slaughtered and eaten 19 recovered animals in a period of two weeks, while Pte. Walter Bweka of the Special Investigation Branch was caught with sh1m suspected to be proceeds from the sale of animals or a bribe to release warriors.
In another incident in Lotome sub-county in Moroto district, the probe found that operation commander Capt. Yufu Buga and Pte. Peter Ndyanabo, an intelligence officer, both of 29th Battalion, connived with local councillors to obtain and sell recovered cattle.
The two officers exchanged the bulls for calves with Emmy Lokiru, the LC1 chairman of Naitakotowan village, and James Leeyam, the LC1 chief of Nariwit village. They later sold off the bulls.
“The four were all arrested and have confessed to having committed the offence. The LCs were taken to the Police cells and the soldiers are in our own cells in Moroto,†said the UPDF spokesperson, Maj. Paddy Ankunda.
“The army will not tolerate the selling of people’s cattle by members of the UPDF or civilians. It takes great effort to recover these animals from raiders and nobody will freely sell them off and get away with it.â€
Local leaders implicated in the practice would equally be prosecuted, he added.
“My appeal to the entire Karamoja population is to guide soldiers to where illegal guns are, rather than connive with some undisciplined elements into wrong doing.â€
The Ugandan Government has been involved in the disarmament of the Karimojong cattle-keepers since 2001.
The operation has yielded 24,000 guns, according to Ankunda, less than half of the expected number. Of those, only 4% have been handed in voluntarily.
The rest were recovered through forceful disarmament through cordon-and-search operations.
TEN UPDF soldiers, including a commanding officer, have been arrested over theft of cattle recovered during disarmament operations in Karamoja.
A UPDF investigation report of March 21, said: “Some army officers have been conniving with some local leaders to sell recovered cattle from disarmament operations in Karamoja.â€
The probe was ordered by the UPDF 3rd Division commander following several complains from the population. Col. Paul L’Okech chaired the board of inquiry.
Most incidents happened in Kapedo, Kathile and Karenga in Kotido district, where UPDF’s 65th and 45th battalions have been operating.
Those arrested last week and now in detention include Maj. Bakubanjja Byaruhanga, the commander of the 49th Battalion, and Capt. George Byaruhanga, the operations and training officer of the 65th Battalion.
Also detained are intelligence officer Lt. Edgar Mwesigiwa and Pte. Walter Bweka, both of the 405th Battalion, Lt. Bosco Maliamungu and Lt. Yusuf Kabu, both of the 49th Battalion, Lt. Tom Otim, the officer in charge of ‘C’ company, and intelligence officer Lt. Enock Masinguzi.
Battalion commander Maj. Byaruhanga admitted to slaughtering and ordering the eating of six recovered head of cattle according to the report. Lt. Tom Otim was involved in selling off eight bulls together with Kathile, kraal leader John Omuliria.
The 49th battalion intelligence officer is named in the loading of a truck full of cattle at Nattaba detachment, which was driven away by a man only identified as Ochanga.
Capt. George Byaruhanga confessed to having slaughtered and eaten 19 recovered animals in a period of two weeks, while Pte. Walter Bweka of the Special Investigation Branch was caught with sh1m suspected to be proceeds from the sale of animals or a bribe to release warriors.
In another incident in Lotome sub-county in Moroto district, the probe found that operation commander Capt. Yufu Buga and Pte. Peter Ndyanabo, an intelligence officer, both of 29th Battalion, connived with local councillors to obtain and sell recovered cattle.
The two officers exchanged the bulls for calves with Emmy Lokiru, the LC1 chairman of Naitakotowan village, and James Leeyam, the LC1 chief of Nariwit village. They later sold off the bulls.
“The four were all arrested and have confessed to having committed the offence. The LCs were taken to the Police cells and the soldiers are in our own cells in Moroto,†said the UPDF spokesperson, Maj. Paddy Ankunda.
“The army will not tolerate the selling of people’s cattle by members of the UPDF or civilians. It takes great effort to recover these animals from raiders and nobody will freely sell them off and get away with it.â€
Local leaders implicated in the practice would equally be prosecuted, he added.
“My appeal to the entire Karamoja population is to guide soldiers to where illegal guns are, rather than connive with some undisciplined elements into wrong doing.â€
The Ugandan Government has been involved in the disarmament of the Karimojong cattle-keepers since 2001.
The operation has yielded 24,000 guns, according to Ankunda, less than half of the expected number. Of those, only 4% have been handed in voluntarily.
The rest were recovered through forceful disarmament through cordon-and-search operations.