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By Steven Ariong
MOROTO: Uganda and Kenya traders have started questioning the importance of the memorandum of understanding which the former Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta and President Museveni signed in Karamoja.
In 2019, the two heads of state jetted in Moroto and signed the MOU on cross border trade and development.
Inside the signed memorandum had details including joint intelligent sharing and deployment, resources sharing such as joint grazing both the Turkana and Karimojong pastoralists in Moroto.
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Although Gen Salem sale accompanied by minister for security Rtd Major General Jim Muhwezi met the Kenya delegation to review the MOU which was held in Moroto last month but the impact of MOU has not been felt by both two neighboring communities who are seriously conflicting.
Ugandans operating businesses in Turkana are currently gripped by worries, following the recent raid on the Turkana kraals by joint security forces around Lokeriaut village in Moroto district.
During that operation two Turkana pastoralists were injured and there’s a contradicting accounts both Uganda governmnet and Kenya governmnet which might cause a stand off.
UPDF officials said they airlifted the injured pastoralists to Moroto regional referral hospital while Turkana county officials said its Turkana county government that evacuated the injured pastoralists to Lodwar for treatment.
Simon Lokeris a chicken trader said they are worried that their business is likely to be interrupted if the Turkana pastoralists decides to revenge.
“We expected total peace after the signing of that memorandum of understanding between the two presidents but now things seems to be no working,”he said.
John Ayolo a cross border peace activist however, said as long as the Kenya government keeps being silent on disarming the Turkana and Pokots there will be no peace in Karamoja.
“That MOU was just for eating EU funded cash but nothing has changed, we expected everything to go well but now things are different,”he said.
Titus Ekeno a trader operating Turkana Moroto route said such contradicting statements from two governments are likely to spark off more conflicts if its not handled well.
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