Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed an executive order that seeks to compel Kenya to hand over Turkana herders accused of killing three Ugandan geologists for a murder trial.
In the 18-page long order, Museveni said Kenya has six months to hand over the said criminals or Kenyan Turkanas will be exiled from Uganda permanently with their cattle.
Three Ugandan geologists were murdered in Moroto next to the Kenya-Uganda border in April 2022 by suspected Turkana pastoralists.
Richard Kiggwwe, the lead geologist and his colleague, Charles Olweny – both from the mineral and energy ministry — had travelled 490 kilometres from the capital Kampala to Moroto District alongside an intern identified as Edna Musiime from Makerere University.
Their translator reportedly tried to explain to the armed warriors about their mission in the area but the warriors, probably out of lack of information opened fire, killing all five in cold blood. The translator escaped with an injury to the stomach.
Museveni further expressed his ‘disappointment’ with the Turkana community, claiming that their presence in Uganda has led to an influx of guns into the country.
“I give the Turkana population six months to comply with my directives. If the issues related to illegal firearms entering Uganda, the apprehension of the criminals who murdered our geologists, or the return of the stolen cattle through traditional means are not resolved, I will have no choice but to expel all Kenyan Turkanas and their cattle. They will be permanently barred from entering Uganda,” read a section of the executive order.
Museveni also accuses the Turkana of stealing cattle from Karamoja in Uganda, and has issued a six-month ultimatum to the Turkana to return all the cattle they stole near the Kobebe dam. The executive order also demanded the handover of individuals responsible for the killing of Ugandan geologists, emphasizing the importance of traditional justice in resolving these issues.
According to Uganda, the presence of Kenyan Turkana in the area had caused instability within Uganda, as they continued to raid and attack unarmed Karimonjong communities. The Turkana residents were accused of stealing 2,245 cattle, resulting in the deaths of three geologists, one officer, and a soldier who were guarding them.
“I now demand an end to this Turkana issue. They must never enter Uganda with firearms, and anyone who does so will be arrested and face terrorism charges in a military court,” President Museveni stated firmly.
President Museveni called for cooperation between the Kenyan and Ugandan governments to facilitate the return of the alleged stolen cattle. He mentioned that the firearms had been surrendered, but the culprits responsible for the killings had not been handed over. According to the president’s directive, once the perpetrators were brought to justice, they would be required to perform a traditional ritual to compensate the bereaved families by providing cattle equivalent to what the deceased would have contributed in their lifetime.
“Both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments should work together to ensure that the Turkana return an equal number of cattle to the communities they stole from. However, we should exercise caution, as our own people may be inflating the numbers. The coordination should include cattle branding to simplify the process of identification,” he added.
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