Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has threatened to expel Kenyan Turkanas from his country over cattle rustling and illegal gun smuggling.
Museveni stated in an executive order dated May 19, 2023, that he has given the Turkana population in Uganda six months to return all cattle stolen within Karamoja around the Kobebe dam.
“I give the Turkana population, 6 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 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,” read part of the executive order.
Museveni expressed frustrations that his leniency in allowing the Turkana community to graze in Uganda was met with hostility as he claimed they brought guns to the country.
He added that this led to increased criminal cases in the Karimonjong area including the theft of 2,245 cattle from the Ugandan residents.
“Long ago, I ordered these Turkanas to never bring guns into Uganda. They should just come and graze their cattle minus being armed.
“They, however, did not listen to this. Instead, they raided our disarmed Karimonjong, killed people, raped them, etc. They are said to have raided 2245 cattle from the Jie. They killed our 3 (three), Geologists, 1 (one) Officer and a soldier, that were guarding them. I now direct that this Turkana nonsense must stop,” he stated in the 18-page document.
President Museveni also demanded full compensation of the affected Ugandan communities following the attacks.
“The price of the kukaraba cannot be the traditional one, of a few cows. It must be adjusted to the full value of what the deceased would have contributed in his/her life, which life was cut short by those criminals,” Museveni said.
Additionally, the Ugandan head of state said the engagments should be done through the co-ordination of the Governments of Kenya and Uganda.
“Through the coordination of the Governments of Kenya and Uganda, the Turkana must bring back to the victim communities the number of cattle equal to the cattle they stole from them.
“Here caution should be used because our own people could be exaggerating the numbers. In order to ease the task of cattle identification, the Kenya government and Uganda government should coordinate on cattle branding to show the district and sub-county of the respective cattle populations,” he added.
