April 14, 2003

For years, Pokot, Marakwet, Turkana, Karamojong, and Sebei communities living along Kenya-Uganda border, have engaged each other in cattle rustling wars. The practice, which presently involves use of sophisticated weapons, has led to deaths of thousands of people and destruction of property. AANA Correspondent Herman Kasili, who recently interviewed a Kenyan Member of Parliament from the region, reports that cattle rustling may not end soon, unless Kenyan and Ugandan authorities empower the communities economically.

The Pokots are a pastoralist ethnic group living about 600 kilometres north-west of Nairobi.

Since time immemorial, they have indulged in cattle rustling, as a cultural practice, with neighbouring Karamojong and Sebei communities on the Ugandan side of the border, as well as with Kenyan counterparts, Turkana, and Marakwet.

Lately, the practice has turned into a full scale conflict. The Luhya community from Trans-Nzoia district in western Kenya, who never engaged in the activity, have found themselves being dragged into it, after being raided and their animals stolen several times.

Much of the area in question stretches from Trans Nzoia, West Pokot and Turkana districts in Kenya, to Karamoja district in Uganda. The region is semi-arid, with majority of the population being pastoralists.

From time to time, communities raid neighbouring villages and make off with many heads of cattle. The feat spills across Kenya-Uganda border, when either the Karamojong and Sebei or the Pokot and Turkana team up to engage each other in cross-border raids and counter-raids. The activity causes many casualties, with women and children suffering the most.

AANA interviewed Kapenguria Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Moroto, last month, soon after he had arrived from Uganda, where he had gone with other Kenyan officials to negotiate return of cattle allegedly stolen by Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) from Pokot herdsmen.

It had been reported elsewhere that over 3,000 heads of cattle belonging to the Pokot had been stolen by UPDF, after the herdsmen crossed over to Uganda to search for grazing fields for their cattle.

"With this kind of scenario," the MP paused, "do you think the Pokot will sit on the fence watching, while their cattle, which is their only livelihood, are being taken away by other people?" Moroto was explaining why cattle rustling had become a die-hard habit.

According to him, there had been an agreement between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities to allow herdsmen from either country to graze their animals on whichever side of the border was greener.

The Pokots have been at the centre stage of cattle rustling, with their neighbours often accusing them of stealing their cattle.

Moroto responds to this saying, "It take two to tango. These other communities should not exonerate themselves from blame as they have also taken part in cattle rustling."

He goes on: "When Pokots are up in arms to retrieve their cattle, they are referred to as cattle rustlers."

A former minister in the previous government, a defensive Moroto says accusing his community alone is quiet unfair.

He explains that the government should carry blame for not taking any initiative to develop the area, for communities to change their attitude on cattle rustling.

The practice has become more sophisticated. Unlike in the past when teenagers used traditional weapons such as spears, bows and arrows in village raids, today, opposing cattle rustlers engage in gun combats.

It has often been alleged that both Kenyan and Ugandan governments armed communities living along their common border with guns sometime ago, ostensibly for self-protection.

After realising this was a mistake, operations to disarm them have not borne fruit. According to Moroto, the villagers simply acquire guns from the black market.

"Pokots deserve to protect themselves from any intrusion by hostile communities around them. They acquire sophisticated machine guns that are available in the black market," he says.

"The guns are available if you have money, since they are found in all northern frontier districts in Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya," he adds. Prices vary between US $ 50 and 300.

The MP recalls that the government has conducted over 30 disarmament operations in the region to no avail, because it has not employed a multi-dimensional approach that would also tackle causes of cattle rustling.

He singles out drought and hunger as a major factor instigating the practice. Currently, areas experiencing serious dry spells are Kongelai, Kosoi, Sook, Cheperia, Alale, Kachelebai, Chesikon and Sokor and Moroto towns in Kenya.

"With all cattle dying because of drought, and you need to feed your family, will you resist being tempted to steal," wondered Moroto.

For cattle rustling to be contained, the MP suggests that the government should devise ways of starting irrigation schemes to encourage the communities to supplement livestock rearing with farming.

He says that the many rivers in the West Pokot district such as Suam, Muruny, Weiwei, Okilim, Kotoruk and Lyon, could be harnessed to provide the necessary water.

He also suggests that infrastructure, especially roads, be improved so that security agents can access trouble areas.

Moroto is convinced that, if these, together with intensive promotion of education in the area are facilitated by both Kenya and Uganda governments, cattle rustling will die a natural death.

All Africa News Agency