The Ugandan military on Monday handed over six Turkana rustling suspects detained in various criminal and cattle rustling activities to neighbouring Kenya.
The military, in a statement issued here, said the suspects were detained alongside their eight Ugandan kinships during the army’s cordon and search operations in Karamoja region, Northeastern Region, between Feb. 20-26.
Felix Busizoori, the third division deputy commander of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, handed over the suspects to Peter Eripete, Kenya’s Turkana County secretary and head of the public service at the Moroto army barracks in Uganda.
“Following recent persistent security and diplomatic engagements between Ugandan and Kenyan authorities, we officially hand over six suspects in the gesture of EAC (East African Community) partnership, as a sign of peaceful co-existence and brotherhood,” said Busizoori.
Busizoori urged the Turkana County government to penalize the suspects for abusing the peaceful co-existence and cross-border security arrangements between the two countries.
“This diplomatic pardon should not be taken for granted as it may lead to impunity. Those who again (will) be violating Ugandan laws will be arrested, arraigned before courts and charged of their offences,” said Busizoori.
He said the eight Ugandan Matheniko warriors arrested together with the Turkana cattle rustling suspects will be arraigned before a military court martial.
Eripete welcomed the gesture, noting that the officials from the two sister countries will continue to work together to find solutions to how the Turkana pastoralists can live in harmony with their Ugandan host communities.
“I categorically state that we are not allowing anybody to come and cause criminality in the host country. Once criminality is caused on whichever side of the border, the suspect is subjected to host country’s laws,” said Eripete.
Uganda and Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding, dubbed “Cross-Border Sustainable Peace and Development” that seeks to end hostilities and enhance development through the promotion of non-violent interactions and collaborations.
Cattle raiding and the fights for scarce water and grazing land among different cattle-keeping groups in eastern Uganda and northwestern districts of Kenya have left many local people displaced or killed in armed clashes. Enditem
