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Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security officers fighting cattle rustling in Karamoja region have revealed that some district veterinary officers in the region have been found to be involved in enabling the raids.
This was revealed by the Karamoja regional police Spokesperson Michael Longole during an interview with URN at his Moroto office on Saturday.
Longole said since the second disarmament exercise was launched ,security has so far arrested and detained two district veterinary officers of Abim district and Nabilatuk district for issuing fake movement permits that enabled the raided animal’s to move.
According to Longole, some of the district veterinary officers work with cattle rustlers. He said they found out that the cattle rustlers get animal movement permits before raiding the cattle.
“What we discovered is that these cattle rustlers have a mutual understanding with some district veterinary officers because these rustlers get a movement permit before going to raid,” he said.
He added that the raiders get movement permits bearing the district stamps of the particular district where they intend to raid animals.
“What the district veterinary officers do is to stamp the permit and leave a space where the rustlers will fill the colors of the animals as they load them in the waiting trucks in the bush,” he said.
Longoli said this collaboration makes it hard for the security to fight against the raiding which has turned to be commercial.
Cattle rustling has reached a new peak, creating panic among the pastoralists in the region.
President Museveni is currently in Karamoja region discussing with various leaders ways of stopping the growing insecurity.
On Friday he met with the district leaders and members of parliament for Karamoja region and today on Saturday he is meeting the security commanders at Moru linga state Lodge in Napak district.
The warriors have continued attacking communities keeping livestock.
On Friday night, the warriors attacked and killed one person just three kilometers from the presidential state Lodge in Morulinga in Napak district.
They took 20 heads of cattle and 40 sheep that were abandoned when they failed to run at the pace of the rustlers.
Marry Nakut a resident of Ngoleriet sub county in Napak district said the current cattle rustling in Karamoja is no longer for raising herds as it used to be in the past but now it is for commercialization.
Paul Angolere a pastoralist and a resident of Kangole chini in Kangole town council in Napak district termed cattle rustling in Karamoja toady as organized crime.
“This raids are benefiting many people including our leaders. Those in the Security circle are eating from these raids,” he charged.
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