Cattle rustling in North Rift of Kenya – Karamoja

Cluster

Presentation to the CEWARN TRAINING,

LAZARUS N. KUBASU, M.PHIL

Coordinator, Provincial Peace Forum

RIFT VALLEY PROVINCE, KENYA

Tel: +254724881380;

E-mail: kubasuln@yahoo.com

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Cattle Rustling in Kenya

• Cattle Rustling among the Karamoja cluster in

the North Rift of Kenya is a phenomenon that

has been there since the community began

living together.

• However, since the advent of small arms,

pastoral conflict in Kenya is now characterized

by array of actors, issues and influences from

local, national, and international sources.

• In Rift Valley Province, which is the largest

Province in the country, this conflict is evident

among the Karamoja cluster communities.2

1.1 Karimojong Cluster

• Karamoja Cluster are

found in the North Rift

• North Rift is a geographical

area that includes four

different states with

distinctive colonial histories

and border politics.

• The different ethnic

communities in the North

Rift are referred to as

Karimojong Cluster

• The map shows the region

they live.3

1.2 The People of Karimojong Cluster

Tribe Name Area Occupied Country

Turkana Turkana North West Kenya

Pian Karamoja North East Uganda

Upe Pokot/Pokot

Kenya

Uganda/Kenya Uganda/Kenya Border

Tepes Karamoja North East Uganda

Bokora Karamoja North East Uganda

Matheniko Karamoja North East Uganda

Jie Karamoja/Sudan North East Uganda

Dodoth Karamoja North East Uganda

Nyangatom Sudan/Ethiopia Sudan/ Ethiopia

Toposa Kapoeta County Southern Sudan

Didinga Sudan Sudan

Sebei Karamoja North East Uganda/Kenya4

1.3 Profile of North Rift Cluster area

Arid and Semi-Arid Conditions

(ASAL)

Predominance of pastoralism

(transhumance)

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1.3 North Rift cluster area (cont’d)

Small Arms and Light Weapons infested area – Physical

Insecurity6

1.3 North Rift cluster area (cont’d)

Strong cultures and

customs

Strong age-systems and

traditional institutions7

1.3 North Rift cluster area profile (cont’d)

Disasters Prone Area8

1.3 Profile of Karimojong cluster area (cont’d)

Food deficit and famine prone area

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2.0 Typology of Karamoja conflict

There 3 typologies for Karamoja conflict in

the North Rift Region

1. Inter-pastoral conflict among the

Karamoja families

Pokot – Turkana,

Samburu – Pokot,

Turkana - Samburu,

Samburu - Borana

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2.0 Pastoralists and Agro-pastoralist

conflict

Pokot – Luhya farmers in Trans Nzoia

Pokot – Kikuyus in Trans Nzoia district

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3.0 Cross – Border conflict

– Turkana – Nyangatom (Ethiopian – Kenyan

border

– Turkana – Dasseneth (Ethiopian – Kenyan

Border

– Turkana – Toposa (Southern Sudan – Kenyan

Border)

– Turkana – Jie (Uganda – Kenyan Border)

– Pokot – Karamojong (Uganda – Kenya

border)

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2.1. What are Issues in the Conflict?

• Ethnic Nationalism, Expansionism and Territoriality

especially by the Pokots.

• Land, Territorial Borders Conflicts (Turkana – Pokot

conflict)

• Conflict over access and control of grazing fields within

territorial control of another ethnic group (Turkana -To

• Conflict over access and control water points deemed to

be within the territorial control of another group

• Livestock raiding as herders seek to restock animals.

• Political incitement: M.Ps and Councillors

• Poor Border Management – Stretch of 1,500 Kms

• Revenge and cycle of counter revenge13

• Moranism – a culture where young men must

demonstrate and prove in their community that

they are “men”.

• Laibons or community priest – who bless the

raiders and help execute counter raids.

• Women incitement to their men through singing

of war songs or warrior songs.

• Prevalence of small arms and lot of

ammunitions.

• Livestock businessmen and warlords who

benefit from the loot stolen or brought by raiders.

• Poor Government response framework.

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2.1 Number of Cattle Rustling Incidences

among the Karamoja Cluster recorded in the

last 6 months

TYPE OF KARAMOJA

CONFLICT THE LAST

6 MONTHS

NO. OF

ATTACKS

NO. OF

CATTLE

STOLEN

MAIN ATTACKER

POKOT - TURKANA 14 987 POKOT

TURKANA - POKOT 8 349 TURKANA

POKOT - POKOT 25 49 POKOT

POKOT - KARAMONG 4 431 POKOT

KARAMONG - POKOT 8 2,107 KARAMONG

TOPOSA - TURKANA 3 810 TOPOSA

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TYPE OF KARAMOJA

CONFLICT THE LAST

6 MONTHS

NO. OF

ATTACKS

NO. OF

CATTLE

STOLEN

MAIN ATTACKER

NYANGATOM -

TURKANA

20 1,200 NYANGATOM/

TURKANA

DASSENECH -

TURKANA

8 49 DASSENECH

TOPOSA - TURKANA 11 800 TOPOSA/

TURKANA

SAMBURU - POKOT 4 100 POKOT /

SAMBURU

SAMBURU - BORANA 31 410 SAMBURU/BORA

NA

SAMBURU -

TURKANA

3 24 BOTH

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2.3 Drought exacerbated conflict

• Increased or „unusual‟ patterns of mobility in search of water and pasture.

• Reduced household Resource Base.

• Heightened militarization of Conflict to re-stock

• Effects of Pastoralists Conflict on Trade and Development

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3.0 Drivers, Context and Setting

of the Karamoja ConflictI. Resource use & sharing/land & water

II. Prevalence of Small arms because are believed to be means to wealth, security and respects in the society

III. Natural Resource shrinkage and degradation as a result of climate change and population increase, drought

IV. Weak legal & formal political institutions

V. Limited Government funding e.g a D.C in operational Turkana and Pokot districts gets Kshs.259,000 per quarter as security A.I.Eagainst an average calculated need of Kshs.1.8 million

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Drivers of the Conflict

• The Involvement of politicians in escalating the

conflict - the M.Ps and the Councillors

• Chiefs staying in towns instead of staying at their

places of work and blessing the morans

• Poor recoveries and response made by the

DSIC.

• Corruption by our security forces and general

demotivation

• Poor Border Management in our borders.

• Poor infrastructure.

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3.0 Drivers, Context, Settings

of Karamoja conflict (cont’d)VI. Varying historical background of the Karamoja

pastoralists Many of Kenya’s pastoral communities have long history of conflict among themselves e.g Pokot – Turkana; Turkana – Pian; Pokot –Samburu; Pokot – Turkana; Turkana – Toposa; Pokot – Ilchamus; among others

VII. Climatic changes have led to desertification and narrowed the belts of pasture upon which the pastoralist mode of production depends, drastically reducing access to rangeland. Again, sedentary encroachment has further diminished the range of pastoral transhumance

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3.0 Drivers, context and settings

(cont’d)

VIII. Among the Karamoja family, the bride

price for marriage is so high that

young men feel forced into criminal

activity to pay for a wife. Socially, young

men must prove their manliness by the

number of bulls they own. This in itself

sustains the practice of cattle rustling in

the region and among the other

communities.

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What Needs to be done?

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Suggested Way Forward• Major Operation – especially on stopping

expansionism by various Karamoja community.

• Rethinking Disarmament and Reintegration –

Has to be integrated and comprehensively managed

• Kenya Army must man our borders – the 1,500

Kms Stretch is un-manned. Move out town to our

borders.

• Cross Border Peace Initiatives must be sustained

and supported.

• The Chiefs and Councilors must be held

accountable incase of any raid and counter raid.

Sacked if possible23

• Electronic branding of livestock in the region to

improve recoveries.

• Children and Morans in the region must be

forcefully taken to schools

• Invest in pastoral economy – hides, skins,

meat, livestock business

• D.Cs in the region must also have their A.I.E

increased.

• Establish contingency funds to improve

recoveries and response

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• Support and Sustain Grassroot Peace

Initiatives.

• Security Roads must also be opened up

to enable security surveillance.

• We should stop listening to politicians

more and listen to technical persons on

the ground.

• Increase the number of Police Stations in

the region and the number of OCPDs in

the region

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• Unless all the armed groups are disarmed among the conflicting pastoralists, cattle rustling will persist

• Operation Dumisha Amani II – though was relatively a success, its complete success was dependant on disarmament from the 3 Karamoja inhabited countries (Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia)

• Disarmament in Kenya areas should be done with political astuteness, clear planning, intensive border management plans, increase in security forces.

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Conclusion• It is time to act now and improve response

framework to address cattle rustling menace.

• The Government must invest in security like

any other investment in the region.

• Grassroot peace building and meetings must

also be undertaken parellel to the improved

security management.

• Listen more to officers than politician.

• End the culture of impunity

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