Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed legislators from Karamoja to join the security team in searching for the people involved in lynching a famous community leader. It comes a week after unknown people lynched Mariko Abura Apanaluk, a renown Karimojong elder and kraal leader together with his son, Lokut Angolere at Nabwal sub county in Napak district.
The same mob killed a Local Defense Unit-LDU personnel attached to Duol army detach only identified as Alengia. The trio that was tracking 20 stolen cattle belonging to Apanaluk was mistaken for cattle thieves and killed by the angry mob. Apanaluk died leaving behind 54 wives, 187 children, 116 grandchildren and more than 2,000 heads of cattle.
The incident has created a rift between the Bokora (people of Napak district) and the Pian (people of Nabilatuk and Nakapiripirit) as the former want to revenge the killing of their elder and son. The police and the army had to deploy heavily to try to quell the angry residents. The incident has forced Karimojong leaders including MPs to seek possible solutions to the matter.
Since Friday last week, Karimojong MPs have been meeting sections of residents and local leaders alongside security agencies to try to pacify the warring communities. In one of the meetings held at Napak district headquarters on Sunday, the Pian MP Remigio Achia revealed to his colleagues that President Museveni was not happy with the insecurity in Karamoja.
Achia who is the interim chairperson of Karamoja Parliamentary Group (KPG), said that the president had asked the MPs to help security agencies bring to book the killers of Apanaluk and others who have lost lives recently to criminals. Achia, who was delegated by the president to deliver the message to the warring parties told the meeting that the president was very concerned about the matter and asked the leaders to help arrest the criminals.
The president’s directive follows allegations that some leaders are inciting locals against each other after the killings. Moses Kigai Wamoto, the Napak RDC observed that it was regrettable to find some leaders taking sides instead of fighting for justice for the victims.
The 3rd Division Commander Big Joseph Balikudembe said they swung into action and arrested several people including one woman who participated in Apanaluk’s killing. In the operation, also two GISO’s of Lorengechora town council and sub county were arrested to help the police and army investigate the matter since they were seen inciting violence.
According to the LC 5 of Napak, John Paul Kodet, his district has lost 1,229 heads of cattle and more than 100 goats from February to May but only 75 cows have been recovered. He adds that in the process, armed warriors killed six people including a woman.
His Katakwi counterpart, Geoffrey Omolo also reported that they have lost more than 500 cattle to the Karimojong since January this year from the sub counties of Magoro, Palam, Ngariam, Okulonyo, Guyaguya and parts of Ongongoja.
Francis Akorikin, the LC 5 chairperson for Kapelebyong district told the Karamoja parliamentary delegation that as Local government leaders, all the LC5 chairpersons of Teso and Karamoja have agreed to cooperate to bring unity, peace and reconciliation among the people of the two regions so that development can be achieved.
The insecurity in Karamoja forced the area MPs to forego the state of the nation address delivered by the president on Friday.
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