Kenya and Uganda are in a peace meeting to forestall a lasting peaceful coexistence between herders from Kenya, and their Ugandan neighbours.
The Kenyans from Turkana county are held in Uganda on accusations of involvement in the killing of Ugandan nationals.
The meeting was sanctioned by President Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto for the leadership of the local communities in Karamoja and Turkana to engage with a view to finding a long-term solution to enhance security, peace and development in the region.
The meeting followed accusations from the Kenyan neighbours following the killing of Ugandans by Turkana herders, from Kenya, in a boundary dispute. The meeting, held in Moroto in Uganda, was attended by former Turkana County Governor Josphat Nanok, who is currently the Kenyan Deputy Chief of staff at the State House.
The two sides implored the Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to consider exercising his powers as the head of State and grant pardon to the jailed Kenyans in his country. “The leaders appeal to H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda to graciously exercise his prerogative power of mercy and grant pardon to the nine Turkana herders currently in Uganda prisons,” heads of Delegations from both countries said in a joint statement.
This is not the first time there has been an altercation between the two East African countries – Kenya and Uganda. Fishermen from both countries have constantly been at loggerheads when they are fishing in lake Victoria. Kenyans have constantly complained that their Ugandan neighbours have been mistreating them whenever the soldiers from Uganda meet Kenyan fishermen at the lake. Actually, the tussle has since degenerated to the point that Kenyans are forced to eat raw fish, as a punishment, and sometimes their catch are confiscated by Ugandan soldiers.
So far, no peace has ever been struck between the two sides.
