Peter Ng'etich
15 November 2006
Nairobi — More than 50 Turkana herdsmen are feared dead after a bombing by a Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) helicopter.
Nine people, among the 17 injured, are admitted to Kakuma Mission Hospital with multiple injuries.
Also killed in the bombing were 1,050 sheep and goats, 150 camels, 924 cows and 64 donkeys.
The bombing was carried out after the pastoralists, who had moved to Kaileng area in Kotido District in Uganda, allegedly shot at two wildlife planes.
The community moved to the area in search of water and pasture.
Speaking to the Nation , UPDF spokesman, Major Felix Kalajie, blamed the incident on the community for shooting at the planes.
The chairman of Lokichogio, Oropoi, Kakuma Development Organisation (Lokado), Mr Augustine Kai, who visited the area with his 12-man team, said they had counted 50 bodies.
Lokado campaigns for peace among the communities living on the borders of Kenya, Uganda and Sudan.
Mr Kai said the families were attacked while milking their cows in the morning, adding, they expected to get more bodies.
He said those admitted to hospital include month-old baby Lomojong Aila, 11-year-old Emoja Lerie and seven women. The women are Kaiton Lokong, Asinyeny Lokong, Lokongolia Lotukori, Edonga Nangunying, Lokua Akai, Naudo, Lotuakou, and Adapan Apachuru.
District commissioner George Ayonga said six women and four men had been confirmed dead.
"If there could be others, let them give you the names since they could be taking advantage of the incident to capitalise on it," Mr Ayonga told the Nation.
Mr Kai claimed the Ugandan government was carrying out disarmament exercise in the northern part of the country, which is inhabited by armed pastoralists including the Tepeth, Matheniko, Jie and Dodoth.
The communities usually clash with the Turkana of Kenya over water and pasture. The five communities are in Karamajong.
The chairman said more than 2,000 people from Waiayakwara clan had fled with their more than 8,000 animals to Koteen, on the Kenya-Uganda border.
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