The Turkana and Karamojong communities have reaffirmed their support for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cross-border peace signed by Kenya and Uganda to end armed conflict and cattle rustling in the borderlands.
At a peace meeting held in Kobebe, Uganda, attended by government representatives and security agency heads from both countries, the communities promised to support an operation to seize illicit firearms spearheaded by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).
The communities were informed of a resolution of leaders to fully support the disarmament effort and a crackdown on cattle rustling, which was said to be the cause of rising insecurity along Kenya’s border with Uganda, at a meeting attended by a delegation from Turkana County led by Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai and county commissioner Jacob Ouma.
Kenyan and Ugandan leaders also agreed on the two communities’ continued peaceful coexistence and the sharing of existing resources by pastoralists.
“We request that you end the conflict and surrender any weapons you may have.”
It is illegal in both Uganda and Kenya.
It is unfortunate that there is conflict and bloodshed between Turkana and Karamojong, despite the fact that we are one people.” said
Lomorukai.
The governor stated that Turkana agreed with the directive that no armed pastoralists would cross into Uganda and asked Turkana residents to follow the directive.
He informed Turkana pastoralists that his administration had requested that they be allowed to graze their livestock in Uganda due to the drought in Kenya.
He said Turkana faced numerous challenges that required careful attention, and he urged residents to embrace peace so that the county administration could focus on implementing development programs rather than wasting valuable time addressing perennial conflict along the Kenya-Uganda borderlands.
He added that the Karamojong and Turkana shared ancestors and urged the communities to coexist peacefully, while promising to expand county relief distribution efforts to benefit pastoralists in Uganda.
He thanked President Yoweri Museveni for allowing Turkana pastoralists to enter Uganda in search of water and pasture.
