Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said Kenya must compensate Uganda for five Ugandans who were killed by Turkana warriors in 2022.
Speaking on Tuesday, October 28, in Amudat district, Museveni said the Kenyan government must compensate for the lives lost if the Turkana locals are unable to raise the money.
“The Turkana still have a debt; they must compensate the lives of my people who were killed.
“I told President Ruto that if these criminals don’t have money, the Kenyan government must pay,” said Museveni.
The Ugandan President also said a joint function by both governments will be held in Moroto in early 2026 to settle the matter.
“I will perform a ceremony in Moroto after the elections with President Ruto for the Kenyan government to pay for the lives of our people who died,” Museveni added.
The 5 Ugandans, who included three geologists from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and two UPDF soldiers, were killed in March 2022 by suspected Turkana pastoralists at the Kubebe area in Moroto, near the Kenyan-Uganda border.
The geologists were on a mineral mapping exercise in the area when they were attacked by the warriors.
The geologists’ translator failed to explain the team’s mission to the pastoralists, who then opened fire, killing them in cold blood. The translator, however, managed to escape with injuries.
In May 2023, President Museveni issued an executive order compelling Kenya to hand over the Turkana pastoralists who killed the Ugandan nationals.
In the executive order, Museveni gave the Kenyan government six months to hand over the suspects.
He threatened to expel the Kenyan Turkana from Uganda, together with their cattle, permanently if Kenya fails to hand over the said suspects.
“I give the Turkana population six months to implement my directives. If, however, the issue of the guns illegally entering Uganda, the hand-over of the criminals who killed our Geologists or the use of traditional justice and the return of the stolen cattle, are not resolved, I will have no alternative but to expel all the Kenyan Turkanas and their cattle and they will never be allowed to re-enter Uganda with their cattle,” the order read in part.
Museveni also warned that Turkanas who will cross into Uganda with guns would be arrested and charged with terrorism.
“The Turkana must never come to Uganda with guns. Anybody who does so must be arrested and charged with terrorism by a Court Martial,” Museveni stated.
