K'jongs Want Guns Back As Pokot Kill 5
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The Monitor (Kampala)
April 21, 2004
Posted to the web April 21, 2004
Sylvester Onyang
Nakapiripirit
Karimojong from Namalu Sub-county are demanding the return of their guns due to
alleged lack of protection from the army.
Namalu Sub-county LC III chairman, Joshua Ojao said Saturday that he was under
pressure from the locals for the quick return of over 700 guns, which they surrendered
to government in 2001.
He said the exercise has since stalled and that several members of the Local Defence
Unit (LDU) have deserted due to non-payment of salaries.
"The people are desperate and are requesting that they be armed to contain incursions
by the Pokot. They willingly gave their guns to the UPDF but have not had the
protection they were promised by President Yoweri Museveni," said Ojao.
He said since the disarmament, over 3,940 head of cattle and an unknown number of
goats has been lost to both the Pokot from Karita Sub-county and their cousins from
Kenya.
Ojao said if returned, the guns would be allocated to local Home guards to contain the
situation. Five people, three of them women and a child were killed, Friday, in an
early morning attack in Lomormor parish in Namalu Sub-county. During the attack, over
800 head of cattle were driven away by the Pokot raiders.
Three people were injured and are in critical condition at Tokora Health Centre. Ojao
added that Kenya currency notes were found in the pockets of one of the raiders -
killed in the fight.
Nakapiripirit district LC V chairman, John Lorot and the RDC, Edward Masiga visited
the scene, which they described as 'gory and terrifying'.
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They condemned the act and called for speedy military action against the Pokot raiders
to recover the stolen animals, and compensation for the dead.
This month alone, at least eight people have been killed and an unknown number of
cattle raided in repeated attacks by the Pokot on Kakomongole Sub-county.
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