10, 000 Turkana pastoralists cross to Uganda

Kaabong. Up to 10,000 Kenyan pastoralists have crossed from Kenya to Uganda in search of pasture and water for their cattle, a local official say.
This brings the total of Turkana pastoralists in Karamoja to 60,000 and at least 127,000 livestock.
The Kenyans moved in the course of the last seven days from Turkana in Kenya to Kaabong, one of the seven districts that make up Karamoja sub-region in northeast Uganda.
Kaabong District chairperson Mark Abuku said the guests’ presence is impacting on what is left of the district’s water resources.

“We are in trouble because even the Karimojong pastoralists are moving away from Karamoja to the areas of Acholi, Lango and Teso looking for pasture and some of them are moving together with the Turkana,’ Mr Abuku said.
Mr Same Emanikor, one of the Turkana pastoralists, said the dry spell in northern Kenya has worsened compared to previous years.
Mr John Lokuruka, a Turkana pastoralist, said they fled to Karamoja which unlike Turkana region, still has some shrubs and bushes the cattle could feed on.

Mr Joseph Epuke, the leader of the Turkana pastoralists in Kaabong, said most of their livestock had died in Kenya.
Mr Josephat Nanok, the Governor of Kenya’s Turkana County, confirmed that thousands of the Turkana had crossed to Uganda, urging Ugandans to accommodate them.
He added that hundreds of livestock had died in Turkana in the last seven months due to the drought.
“We have lost many livestock in Turkana, in fact the only animals surviving in Kenya are goats and camels that are able to eat shrubs,” he said.
Mr John Byabagambi, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, said the Karimojong and Turkana are one but warned that the government of Uganda would not accept the Turkana pastoralist cross in Uganda with firearms.

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