The 3 Division Commander, Major General Don Nabasa, has cautioned leaders against pressurizing security to release suspects arrested for committing criminal offences.
He said that on several occasions some leaders have called him pleading for the release of criminals from whom guns had been recovered.
Maj Gen Nabasa made the caution during a meeting that was held between joint security forces and leaders from Amudat district and West Pokot of Kenya over the surge in insecurity in Amudat that was held on 23 December 2023 in Amudat district.
He observed that the insecurity in the district followed the killing of civilians, loss of livestock and killing of soldiers in an ambush by Pokot warriors in August 2023 while they (soldiers) were tracking the raided livestock.
Maj Gen Nabasa reminded the Pokot community through their leaders to take advantage of the Presidential amnesty and voluntarily hand over the guns in their possession or face the wrath of security. He further noted that the herders are free to graze their animals provided they are not armed.
On his part, Hon. Lobot Joseph Nangole, the LCV Chairperson Amudat, noted that the district had been peaceful until herders started migrating from neighbouring Districts in search of water and pasture.
He expressed concern over the porous border with Kenya which makes it hard to track and recover raided animals once they cross to Kenya.
The Member of Parliament Kacheliba Constituency (Kenya), Hon. Titus Lotee, said that his community is not ready to be at loggerheads with the government and appealed to security to allow both the Pokot of Kenya and Uganda to graze their cows freely in Uganda.
The Resident District Commissioner Nakapiripirit, Mr Okurut John Michael, acknowledged resource sharing with Pokot from Amudat but reiterated the need for respect of Territorial integrity by some Kenyans and the need to demarcate or regulate the grazing areas by the two governments of Uganda and Kenya.
Mr. Okurut noted that there is a need for West Pokot security to attend the security meetings given that some warriors killed during raids were putting on Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) uniforms.
Present at the meeting were: Amudat Resident District Commissioner Mr Owani George, Regional Police Commander South Karamoja ACP Francis Chemusto, 407 Brigade Commander Col Badru Lumumba, Woman Member of Parliament Amudat, District Hon. Chelain Betty, Member of Parliament West Pokot, among other leaders.