Farmers in Nakapiripirit, Kween, Katakwi, and Kapelebyong districts have decried the continued destruction of their crops by suspected Pokot pastoralists.
Currently, the pastoralists from the districts of Napak, Pokot in Amudat, and Turkana from neighboring Kenya have entered the areas of Sebei and Teso to search for water and pasture for their animals.
However, the inhabitants have lamented that the pastoralists are unable to control their livestock as a result their crops are being ravaged, posing fears of a possible hunger crisis.
Julius Akol, a farmer in Namalu sub-county in Nakapiripirit district says that the herdsmen intentionally drove their cattle into his garden and destroyed all the rice he had planted for this season.
Tom Olaka, another farmer who also doubles as LCIII Chairperson for Namalu sub-county noted that the pastoralists majorly from Amudat district cannot differentiate between pasture and crops in the gardens.
Olaka said his sub-county alone is hosting more than 5,000 pastoralists and the situation is getting worse because the herdsmen do not care about other people’s properties.
Olaka revealed that he was forced to deploy some guards into his garden but the unruly pastoralists teamed up and beat up one of his staff for denying them access to the garden of rice.
Siraji Chebet, the LCIII Chairperson for Chepsukunya Town Council says the situation is getting worse in Kween district where more than 10 acres of crop plantations like watermelon have been destroyed.
Chebet said several calls have been made to the leadership of Amudat to come in and see how best they can address the crisis all in vain.
He said although the herdsmen are forced to compensate for the damages, sometimes what they offer is not worth the crops destroyed.
‘’A truck of watermelon costs between 8 to 12 million Shillings, when their cattle destroy just two gardens of watermelon, the animal owner pleads to compensate with 2 million Shillings, that is a loss’’ Chebet narrated.
The situation is not different from the neighboring districts of Katakwi and Kapelebyong in the Teso sub-region where several cassava gardens have been destroyed by cattle belonging to Karamojong pastoralists.
Vincent Okwii, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Katakwi district said since they welcomed Karamojong pastoralists into their land, it has become a common problem for the farmers as cattle cause harm to their crops.
Okwii said the pastoralists have invaded the district without permission and the animals are destroying people’s crops without compensation.
Brig Gen Joseph Balikudembe, the UPDF 3rd Division Commander confirmed that they have received several complaints from the farmers about the loss of their crops in the gardens.
Balikudembe urged local leaders to intervene to find possible solutions of addressing the farmers’ outcry and protect them until they harvest their crops.
He warned pastoralists to desist from driving their animals into people’s gardens claiming it is pasture for their animals or else they face expulsion from the grazing areas.
On 15th December 2022, Katakwi joined other districts of Kapelebyong, Kween, and Bulambuli to stop Karamojong pastoralists from crossing into their lands following the rampart cattle theft and crop destruction.
-URN
