Nairobi — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has threatened to expel all Kenyan Turkanas if the Kenyan government fails to hand over the suspected killers of five Ugandan nationals and put an end to illegal guns smuggling and livestock rustling in his country.
Museveni, in an 18-page Executive Order expressed frustration, noting that despite allowing the Turkana herders to settle in Uganda's Karamoja area, they have continued to smuggle guns into the country, posing a threat to its stability.
He attributed the possession of firearms by the Turkana herders to Kenya's failure to conduct proper disarmament efforts.
"Long ago, I ordered these Turkanas to never bring guns in Uganda. They should just come and graze their cattle minus being armed. They, however, do not listen to this. Instead, they raid our disarmed Karimonjong, kill people, rape, etc. They are said to have raided 2245 cattle from the Jie," he said.
According to Museveni, the Turkana herders killed three, Geologists, One Officer and a soldier, who were guarding them.
However, Museveni said that the killers of the Geologists must be handed over to Uganda for trial for murder noting that only the guns were handed back to the Government of Uganda, but not the killers.
In the alternative, Museveni says that the killers, with the co-ordination of both Kenya and Uganda, governments should conduct blood-settlement to the farmilies of the deceased.
"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,' he said.
Through the co-ordination of both governments Museveni, the Turkana must return to the victim communities the number of cattle equal to the cattle they stole from them.
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However, Museveni argued that caution should be exercised "because our own people could be exaggerating the numbers."
Museveni said that henceforth, the Turkana must never bring to Uganda guns noting that those who violate the order must be arrested and charged with terrorism by a Court Martial.
In order to ease the task of cattle identification, Museveni said that both governments should co-ordinate on cattle-branding to show district and sub-county of the respective cattle populations.
The Uganda President gave the Kenyan Government and the Turkana six months to meet their demands failure to which would result to their expulsion.
"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," Museveni said.
