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Sub-county speaker shot dead in Kotido, health workers flee over insecurity
The illicit small arms and light weapons recovered from Karamoja sub-region, Northern region, Rwenzori region and Kampala Metropolitan areas being set on fire on April 30, 2022. PHOTO/ COURTESY
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After armed forces in the mineral-rich restive region intensified disarmament operations against suspected cattle rustlers in July last year, several local leaders, government officials and business people have been targeted by the armed warriors suspected to be cattle raiders.
Police and the army in Kotido District in Karamoja Sub-region are searching for six armed assailants who shot and killed a Sub County speaker before injuring another official working with a community development organization.
At around 2pm yesterday, the assailants suspected to be Karamojong warriors trailed Kamoru Sub County speaker, Abraham Lochen and shot him in the head and chest at Kamoru trading centre before they fled.
Suspects hunted
The district police commander, Mr Moses Akena, described the shooting as unfortunate before adding that the armed forces are currently tracking down the assailants
"They (assailants) were six in number. They first went to the Sub County offices asking to see him (Lochen) but they were told he had gone to the trading centre. They followed him there and shot him dead. They also injured another person during the shooting,” Mr Akena said.
The injured social worker whose particulars were not readily availed by the time of filing this story was rushed to Kotido health center.
After armed forces in the mineral-rich restive region intensified disarmament operations against suspected cattle rustlers in July last year, several local leaders, government officials and business people have been targeted by the armed warriors suspected to be cattle raiders.
Three local leaders killed in two months
Lochen’s attack brings to three, the total number of local leaders killed in the district in less than two months.
On April 14, the vice chairperson of Napumpum Sub County, Aped Longole, was killed in a UPDF ambush as he was allegedly leading a team of Karamojong warriors who had raided cattle in Apeitolim Sub County in Napak District and driving them to Kotido.
On May 22, Napumpum Sub County LCIII chairperson was shot dead by unknown assailants. Paul Lowok, 41, was attacked by suspected Karamojong warriors in Napumpum trading centre at night.
Mr Micheal Longole, the Karamoja regional police spokesperson told journalists then that detectives visited the scene and recovered two bullet projectiles from the wall of his house.
Most insecure district
One of the residents of Kacheri Sub County, Mr Moses Lote said said Kotido has become one of the most insecure districts in the Sub-region.
Kotido resident district commissioner, Mr Ambrose Onoria said the current insecurity situation in the district has frustrated government work in the district.
"Right now, people fear moving to the villages and the village chairpersons have decided to abandon their work fearing to be killed," he said.
Health workers flee
Meanwhile, local leaders say health services in the district are currently paralyzed by the continuous insecurity that has forced many health workers to abandon their duty stations fearing for their lives.
Mr Joseph Lomongin, the Kotido Chief administrative officer said some of the health workers posted to various health centres across the district had withdrawn their services many others are planning to do so.
He said many health workers in the district are fearing for their lives due to the ongoing killings and road ambushes.
Mr Lomongin who also survived a road ambush on May 27 at 2pm while travelling from Kotido to Moroto, said the situation has also frustrated the Parish Development Model (PDM), one of the government programmes intended to pull many households from subsistence to money economy.
"Things are not right, and something must be done to end this situation because the armed rustlers have reached to the extent of attacking the health workers at the health centres,"he said.
Museveni on the security situation
In April this year, President Museveni said cattle rustling which has become a security threat reemerged after most of the UPDF soldiers who had been deployed in the Sub-region were taken for training. “Karamoja issue had been solved but came up again when we removed some of the soldiers for training. However, we're redeploying. Very soon you will hear the punishment we shall give to those fellows who have been disturbing our people in that area. That problem will be solved,” Mr Museveni said in his Easter message.
Karamoja -- a sparsely populated and underdeveloped region -- has been wracked for decades by insecurity due to tit-for-tat armed cattle raids between clans.
With a porous border and thriving illicit trade, the Karimojong nomadic communities have staged several often-fatal road ambushes and robberies in the lawless region.
The government has in the past conducted several security operations to retrieve illegal firearms from the community.
385 suspects killed as local leaders claim ‘silent genocide’
According to UPDF, 385 warriors have been killed in different operations since the launch of the second phase of the disarmament exercise in July 2021.
There have also been claims by some local leaders that the armed forces conducted a silent genocide in Karamoja sub region early this year after three government geologists were attacked and killed.
UPDF refuted the claims saying the ongoing operations which have seen suspects arrested, are guided by rules of engagement, Standard Operation Procedures, and a code of conduct to save and protect all lives.
“Any serving officer who commits operational misconduct is liable to punishment,” said Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd division spokesperson.
