A storm is brewing over the arrest and jailing of 32 herders to 20-year jail terms in neighboring Uganda.

Yesterday, leaders from Turkana county accused Ugandan authorities of arbitrarily arresting and detaining Turkana herders without following the relevant diplomatic channels.

The leaders took issue with the arrest of the 32 kinsmen by Ugandan security forces early this week and their subsequent arraignment before a military court martial where they were found guilty of being in possession of firearms and sentenced to serve 20 years in jail each at the Moroto Government.

Loima MP Protus Akuja said it was unfair for the Ugandan military court martial to jail the Kenyan herders noting that it is only meant for military officers and not civilians.

“There was no fairness and justice for our people since it took the military court martial one day to charge and sentence the herders to 20 years each. Where is justice when all of them were denied legal representation,” posed Akuja.

Breeding animosity

He challenged Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to move with speed and engage with his Ugandan counterpart over the matter to avoid animosity and hatred between Kenyans and Ugandans living along the border of the two countries.

“In total, there are 40 pastoralists in Ugandan jails courtesy of military court martial by the Ugandan military UPDF and who were sentenced last year and recently 32,” said Akuja.

The MP accused the Ugandan authorities of subjecting the herders to inhumane treatment while seeking for pasture and water for their livestock in the country.

“Whenever our people cross into Uganda, they are arrested and detained on flimsy grounds, key among them for being in possession of illegal firearms and yet the Ugandan herders also own guns and the authorities are doing nothing to seize their illegal weapons,” said Akuja.

Crossed over

The 32 herders who are residents of Ortum sub county had crossed over to the neighbouring country in search of pasture and water when they were  arrested and convicted over illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Echoing the same sentiments, Turkana Woman Representative Cecilia Ngitit asked the Uganda government to stop harassing Kenyan herders.

She said they have started to engage the Kenyan based liaison office in Uganda with a view to resolving the matter in the interests of peace and unity between the two countries.

Ngitit challenged CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua to intervene in the matter.

“As leaders from Turkana, we condemn in the strongest terms possible the jailing of our innocent brothers by the 3rd division military court martial based in Moroto in the northern region,” said Ngitit.

The woman MP complained that local herders have become targets of vicious attacks by heavily armed raiders from the neighboring Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda.

“Our people are always attacked and killed and several animals stolen by heavily armed raiders from neighboring countries and yet we have a government in place which should protect our lives and property,” argued Ngitit.

The herders were convicted on the basis of Section 119 of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Act, which states that any person found with weapons, ammunition or equipment that is a monopoly of the armed forces will be subject to Military Law and tried by the Court Martial.

Successful cordon

Ugandan media reported that on April 8, the UPDF together with police conducted a successful cordon and search operation in the areas of Lokiriaut, Nadunget sub-county where 31 guns and 752 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the pastoralists in Moroto District.

“It was a well-executed operation after intelligence leads indicated that the kraal in the village owned by the pastoralists was a hideout for guns,” a Brig Balikuddembe was quoted.

He added that one warrior was killed during the operation while others were injured.

“Joint security forces minimised as much as possible the number of casualties despite the heavy crossfire that injured five warriors, one UPDF soldier, while one warrior was put out of action as he tried to flee the scene with a gun,” he said

Brig Balikuddembe said that about 129 suspects were arrested in the operation, but the criminal files for the 32 suspects are the ones which were ready by Tuesday for prosecution.

Early this week, Ugandan authorities handed over six suspected Kenyan cattle rustlers arrested in its Karamoja region that borders Turkana County in Kenya.

The suspects were released to the Turkana County government by the Ugandan military as a “gesture of East African Community partnership and as a sign of peaceful co-existence.