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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The three neighboring pastoralists communities, the Karimojong of Uganda, Turkana and the Pokot of Kenya have welcomed the move by the two governments of Kenya and Uganda to carry out a joint animal vaccination with the move to fight animal disease along the border corridors.
The two countries announced the plan during the cross border meeting between the Karimojong, Turkana and the Kenya west Pokots in Lokiriama location in Kenya.
Josephat Nanok, the governor of Turkana county said conducting a joint cross border animal vaccination would cement the current peace that has prevailed over among the two former worrying communities.
He said Kenya and particularly his Turkana government is committed to ensuring that the pastoralists both in Uganda and Kenya will not lose their livestock due to animal disease as they graze together at the border.
“When Uganda is carrying on animal vaccination, we shall also join them to provide logistics medicine and the manpower so that both animals in the border are vaccinated,” he said.
John Byabagambi, the Minister in Charge of Karamoja Affairs said the joint animals vaccination is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding that President Museveni and President Uhuru Kenyatta in Karamoja agreed upon in 2019. He advised the two pastoralists communities to guard the current peace jealously.
“Utilize the current peace to create change in your household income,” he said.
Peter Eripet, a pastoralist at Loima border of Karamoja and Turkana said the move was a good gesture and it will rescue their animals.
He said the joint animals vaccination will also represent the true East Africanism.
“We are very happy with this move by the two countries, infact this has been long overdue,” he said.
Jeremiah Losike, another pastoralist from Lokicodio in Kenya emphasized that Karamoja would enjoy everlasting peace if only Kenya could accept to disarm the armed Turkana and West Pokot Kenyans.
“What we are only crying to Kenya government is that please remove guns from our brothers the Turkana and the West Pokot pastoralists so that we can live in peace,” he said.
Robert Adyama, the Resident District Commissioner Amudat said the joint border animal vaccination will boost coexistence among the three neighbouring pastoralist’s community.
Previously, the two pastoralist communities of Turkana and Karimojong were not seeing eye to eye over cattle rustling.
However currently, they are in good relations after the government succeeded in disarming the Karimojong pastoralists.
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