KATAKWI: John Peter Imalingat, a resident of Angolekit Village in Ongongoja Sub County in Katakwi district, is stuck with 13 children after failing to return them to school after falling victim to a double raid by suspected Karimojong rustlers. The children at different levels of education dropped out of school when their father lost 52 cows on March 23, 2022.
As the family was trying to come to terms with the loss, another group attacked and robbed all household property worth seven million shillings on May 5, 2022. This incapacitated Imalingat from providing for the children and the entire family. Imalingat told URN in an interview that of the three children at the tertiary level, two are in secondary school and eight others are in primary school.
He said that all the attempts to recover the stolen cattle have been futile even after engaging the district security team. Imalingat says he cannot even provide food for his family after the raids.
William Omeke, the Ongongoja Sub-county LC III Chairperson, says that he has tried to liaise with district authorities on Imalingat’s matter without any success. According to Omeke, Imalingat isn’t the only victim suffering from the recent cattle theft by suspected Karimojong rustlers in the sub-county. He says that this year alone, Ongongoja Sub County has lost 477 head of cattle, in addition to other household property stolen by the suspected rustlers and thieves.
Geoffrey Omolo, who is in charge of the Katakwi District, says that they are still working with the right people to help the family.
Ongongoja is one of the most affected sub-counties, experiencing continuous cattle thefts from suspected Karimojong rustlers over the years. The plight of the sub-county has not changed even after the deployment of soldiers through the intervention of Vice President, Jessica Alupo. Alupo comes from Ongongoja Sub County.