President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been forced to embark on a swift change of strategy in the fight to pacify Karamoja; he discovered that the army has betrayed his trust and impeded the pacification efforts.
While delivering the State of the Nation Address on Wednesday at Kololo the President revealed that the Government has enhanced troop levels and combat capabilities in Karamoja to combat cattle theft in the troubled sub region.
General Museveni contended that disarmament operations under the code name- “Operation Usalama Kwa Wote” remain on course through which a total of 125 guns with 1,323 rounds of ammunition have been recovered since January, 2023.
Similarly, an estimated 4,771 stolen livestock were recovered and handed over to the rightful owners.
At bilateral level, Uganda and Kenya entered a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Defence and Security, which was signed in April, 2022.
The agreement according to the President provides for concurrent disarmament operations in both countries.
Museveni, however, expressed regret due to a shortfall in the implementation of the pacidication agenda which also involved image tainting corruption incidents.
The president revealed that he had decided to deal with the warriors directly, a strategy he said has started paying off.
Museveni also promised to deal with army bosses who have swindled the money disbursed by the government for the vigilante communities to aid the pacification process. He said his punitive hand will get to whoever else might have played apart in frustrating peace in the sub region.
“There have been mistakes and some corruption in the disarmament in Karamoja. I am now in direct touch with the raiders. Some have already come out and others seem to be ready to come out. The corrupt elements in the Army that stole the money of the vigilantes will be punished and so will all the corrupt that undermined the total peace we had achieved in Karamoja between 2007 and 2018.” The president warned.
He also warned the Turkana of Kenya to instantly and raiding if at all they still want to stay in Uganda. Also cautioned are the Pokot leaders who he asked to stop their people from raiding internally and sending their loot to tribesmen across the border to hide.
“The Turkana of Kenya must also stop entering Uganda with guns and I do not want to hear of even one incident of those people again raiding in Uganda if they want to stay here. All the points put forward in the recent Executive Order must be fulfilled. The leaders of the Pokot, in Uganda, also need to completely discipline their people. The practice of stealing cattle, from the other clans of Uganda and hiding it with their tribemates, in Kenya, must stop completely.” he concluded.
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