Uganda military gives Turkana herders 14 days to return cattle allegedly stolen from Uganda

The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has given Turkana pastoralists a 14-day ultimatum to recover and return 12 cattle allegedly stolen from Dodoth communities in Uganda.

They warned that failure to comply could trigger unspecified measures against the herders within Ugandan territory.

The ultimatum was issued during a joint Dodoth-Turkana cross-border peace meeting in Usake and Komion organised by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Turkana-based Lokado.

The ultimatum comes amid growing concerns over livestock theft, illegal firearms and pressure on pasture and water resources caused by drought.

UPDF Colonel Ruziro Nuwagaba said six of the cattle were allegedly stolen about three weeks ago from areas around Usake and Kangole, while another six were reportedly taken from the Kaabong area in March this year.

He urged Turkana leaders and security officials in Kenya to assist in tracing and recovering the animals before the deadline expires.

“We have established our intelligence on the ground. If we discover that some suspects own guns, we shall round up the livestock and take them to the barracks until you surrender the guns,” Nuwagaba warned.

The colonel also appealed to Turkana pastoralists entering Uganda in search of pasture and water to surrender illegal firearms or hand them over voluntarily to the military.

The warning comes at a time when thousands of Turkana pastoralists have crossed into Uganda in search of pasture and water following worsening drought conditions in northern Kenya.

Kotido Resident District Commissioner Stephen Odong Latek said Kenyan Turkana pastoralists had been given two weeks to recover the cattle and hand them over to the UPDF at Komion Barracks and Kalapata.

He warned that failure to recover the animals within the stipulated period would compel Ugandan authorities to employ other measures.

“If they fail to recover the livestock, it will have consequences and we shall apply other methods to recover the animals. Turkana herders should respect Ugandan laws while temporarily grazing in Ugandan territory,” Odong said.

He said Ugandan authorities remained committed to maintaining security and recovering stolen livestock, while urging Turkana residents to report cases of livestock theft to the military and police.

Odong further called on Turkana pastoralists to avoid entering Uganda with firearms.

“We ask our Turkana brothers to sacrifice for the sake of peace. Do not carry guns to Uganda territories. For the sake of peace, do not enter Uganda with guns,” he said.

Pressure on pasture and water

The meeting also highlighted the growing strain on resources as drought pushes pastoralist communities  across international borders.

Odong said the Turkana and Dodoth communities could continue to coexist peacefully and share pasture and water, but warned that visitors must respect the laws and communities of their host country.

He called on the Kenyan government to formally communicate with Ugandan authorities over the movement of Turkana pastoralists into Uganda.

According to Odong, such a request should indicate the estimated number of people and livestock expected to cross into Uganda to enable authorities to plan for resources and security.

He also urged Kenya to supplement Uganda’s humanitarian response by providing health services, livestock drugs, relief food and water to Turkana pastoralists who have crossed the border.

“These people are already with us in Uganda. They have started eating relief food distributed by the Uganda government, yet they were not registered. Kenya should do something to support their people. For future planning, we need to establish the number of Turkana entering Uganda,” Odong said.

He said drought had forced large numbers of Turkana pastoralists into Uganda, but warned that criminal elements could undermine the fragile cross-border peace arrangements through livestock theft and other crimes.

The RDC cautioned Turkana herders against entering Uganda with guns, wearing military-style uniforms or caps, grazing livestock inside protected wildlife areas such as Kidepo Valley National Park, allowing animals to destroy farms and engaging in other criminal activities.

Efforts to recover the cattle

Titus Lokorkeju, County Directorate of Peacebuilding, said efforts were already underway to recover the 12 cattle.

He said three cows had been identified and were expected to be handed over to the UPDF, while another three had also been traced.

According to Lokorkeju, the names of suspects linked to the second group had been handed over to Kenyan security officials and peace committees to pursue them and recover the livestock.

He appealed to the UPDF to avoid arresting a kraal elder after intelligence reportedly traced the tracks of some of the animals to his kraal in Komion.

Lokorkeju said the priority should be recovery of the cattle and preservation of the cross-border peace achieved between the Turkana and Dodoth communities.

“We intend to ensure all the 12 cows are recovered. We already know where the six cows entered, and Kenya security officials and kraal leaders are pursuing the suspects to recover the animals. We don't want a situation where our people will be expelled again from Uganda at this time of drought,” Lokorkeju said.

He said more than 20,000 Turkana pastoralists from Turkana West and Lokichoggio sub-counties had crossed into Uganda with livestock in search of pasture and water.

He added that an estimated 50,000 others had moved towards South Sudan and Ethiopia because of the drought.

The pastoralists are facing multiple pressures, including deteriorating pasture, water shortages and threats from livestock diseases and tsetse flies in some areas.

Kenya prepares formal request: Lokichoggio Deputy County Commissioner Paul Kipsigei Kemei said Kenyan authorities had drafted a formal letter requested by Uganda to facilitate Turkana pastoralists’ temporary access to pasture and water in Uganda.

Kemei commended the Ugandan government for allowing Turkana herders to access resources across the border during the drought emergency.

He called for closer cooperation between Kenya and Uganda to ensure that pastoralists can move in search of resources without triggering conflict.

“Kenya and Uganda must collaborate to ensure the communities coexist peacefully and share resources harmoniously,” Kemei said.

The DCC said Kenya was also undertaking a disarmament exercise through the SOG, with some progress recorded in the recovery of illegal firearms.

He warned Turkana pastoralists against crossing into Uganda with guns or engaging in wildlife poaching, while appealing to Ugandan authorities to continue allowing pastoralists temporary access to pasture and water until rains return.

The latest ultimatum has placed renewed pressure on Turkana leaders and Kenyan security officials to recover the remaining cattle before the deadline, as both sides seek to prevent a livestock dispute from escalating into wider cross-border tensions.

For communities whose survival depends on shared grazing lands and water sources across the Kenya-Uganda border.

Kenya's Special Envoy for Peace Ateker region, John Munyes, who led the delegation to Kaabong Uganda, said efforts were being made to recover the stolen livestock to ensure peace prevails among the communities.

"Maintaining the fragile peace will require not only the recovery of stolen livestock but also stronger coordination between the two governments on pastoralist migration, disarmament, humanitarian assistance and resource sharing," Munyes said.