Residents of Kapelebyong district have resorted to protests over the persistent cattle raids and killings by rustlers. On Wednesday afternoon, more than 500 people stormed Kapelebyong district headquarters with the body of Daniel Otai, who was killed by suspected Karimojong cattle rustlers.
Otai met his death while returning to his home in Obulin Village in Okungur Sub County on Tuesday night. The group comprising local leaders, elders, youth and women sought answers from the top district officials about the continued incursions by rustlers.
Oscar Gregg Ageca, the East Kyoga Regional Police Spokesman, says that Otai was shot during the pursuit of suspected Karimojong rustlers by the joint security forces of the Uganda People’s Defense Force and the Anti-Stock Theft Unit.
The group had reportedly raided nine head of cattle from Obulin Village when the UPDF and ASTU started chasing after them. Jennifer Anyait, a resident of Obulin Village says that demonstration is the only option left for them to express themselves in order to reawaken the government to the deteriorating security situation in Kapelebyong caused by the Karimojong.
“We are the ones dying every day. Our husbands and killed by these thieves, leaving helpless children and orphans. We need a permanent solution to this problem”, she said as she matched to RDC’s office. Francis Akorikin, the Kapelebyong LC V Chairperson, says that the security situation in the district needs urgent attention from the security heads and the government.
“Our people are raided almost on daily basis. Today, the community just stormed us with a dead body and they are demanding answers from us. As a district, we don’t have security forces under our command but depend on the deployment from the centre,” he said.
The majority of the protestors are from Okungur Sub County. They are now collecting signatures to petition the government to establish a military barracks on a 100-acres of land in Okungur Sub County. The said Amuria District Council donated the land located in Adukut Village to the Ministry of Defense on request.
As the protesters stormed Kapelebyong district, raiders took 36 cattle from Okulunyo Sub County in Katakwi district in broad daylight, according to the LC V chairperson, Geoffrey Omolo. He said that the cows were taken around 3:00 pm while grazing but the army followed quickly.
“Because of the pressure mounted by the army, the warriors abandoned the animals”, Omolo said in a text. In a press briefing at Parliament recently, Teso MPs said that the situation along the border with Karamoja seems to be getting out of hand.
“The warriors have continued to kill our people, rape our women and abduct our people as they raid our animals with impunity but the commanders on the ground seem to be either conniving with the warriors or they have failed to do their work”, Jonathan Ebwalu, the Soroti West Division MP said.
During the launch of the livestock compensation from the Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions last weekend in Soroti, President Yoweri Museveni said that the security situation between the Karimojong and their neighbours will be addressed. The president was responding to security concerns raised by a section of Teso leaders during the function.
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