MOROTO: Residents of Moroto district are demanding answers as to why security forces picked their animals from the kraals to keep in the holding ground.
Hundreds of worried people gathered on Saturday in Nadunget town council asking the district leadership to explain why their animals were picked from the kraals and taken to the holding ground over unclear reasons.
It is alleged that the security forces under the command of the LC5 district chairperson for Moroto district invaded people’s kraals in Lotisan sub county and picked animals without the knowledge of the owners.
According to residents, they were surprised to see security forces invading their kraals and were picking between two and five cows from each herd without explaining to them why they were doing so.
Mariko Lokol, one of the aggrieved residents from Kaloyee parish in Lotisan Sub County said that animals were picked from the kraal and forcefully driven out by the security forces.
Lokol said they do not know why their cows were taken to the holding ground and yet many of their cows have been raided with no intervention from the authorities.
He added that those people who could try inquiring why animals are picked were harassed and beaten by the security forces.
Helen Nakiru, a female youth councilor representing Nadunget town council observed that the system of impounding animals from innocent people is keeping insecurity alive in Karamoja.
Nakiru noted that whenever cows are raided, the security intentionally grab people’s cows instead of tracking the ones stolen and the thieves.
She also revealed that it is unfortunate that the leaders whom they voted to help them get rid of insecurity and protection of their properties are instead conniving with security forces to oppress the communities.
John Robert Adupa, the LC3 chairperson for Lotisan Sub County in Moroto district said that they have had two separate raids in Lotisan and when he saw the army moving around he thought they were tracking the stolen cows.
Adupa revealed that he was shocked when he saw the security forces entering into people’s kraals to pick between two and ten cows from each kraal across the sub county.
He said the cows were later driven to Nadunget holding ground where they were intercepted on the suspicion of being stolen from Napak district.
Adupa also noted that the cows which were raided from Napak district were already recovered from the Turkana kraal but he does not know why the security forces decided to invade into people’s kraals.
He revealed that the army intelligence officer later told him that the cows were intercepted under the orders of the district chairperson.
Adupa also accused the district chairperson for working in isolation instead of cooperating with the sub county leadership for effective response.
David Koryang, the LC5 Moroto said that the aggrieved group of people from Napak district stormed the villages in Lotisan Sub County demanding for their cows which were raided.
Koryang said that he intervened in the matter and calmed the situation by calling upon all the community members with the security forces to track the said stolen cows.
He observed that in the process the community resolved that since the footage marks ended in the same sub county, animals should be picked from each kraal until they reveal the real thieves involved in the act.
Koryang added that the tracking team managed to recover some of the animals in certain kraal within the village in Lotisan Sub County and they were driven by the area LC1 to the army detach.
Justin Tuko, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Moroto ordered for the release of the impounded animals saying it was illegal because there were no exhibits to pin on the owners.
Tuko noted that the district security committee resolved that they impound animals only from the kraal where that is suspected to be harboring the raiders who committed the crime. He said there was no need to collect people’s cows from different kraals because the tracking team had already recovered the stolen cows from the Turkana kraal.
However, Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd division spokesperson when contacted on phone said he was not aware of any development regarding the impounded cows.
