By Patriot Corps
Ms. Caroline Angolere, the Special Presidential Assistant for Political Affairs, has challenged the leaders of the Turkana region in Northern Kenya to devise alternative means of livelihood for the Karacuna, urging them to shift away from raiding activities in both Kenya and Uganda. She made these remarks at the Lokiriama Commemoration event held in Turkana County, Kenya, on October 19, 2024.
Angolere noted that much of the raiding in Ateker communities stems from poverty and mindset challenges. She called upon the Karacuna of Turkana to embrace peace and replace their guns with economic opportunities through wealth creation initiatives.
Additionally, Angolere encouraged the Ateker people, especially the Karamojong of Uganda, the Turkana of Kenya, and the Toposa of South Sudan, to intermarry to build strong social bonds based on mutual respect for one another’s property.
In the same vein, Loumo, a leader of the reformed raiders in Uganda and a member of the Karamoja Peace Movement, testified during the Lokiriama Peace Accord commemoration about how they have saved 80 million UGX within a year. Their goal is to recruit other young people into cattle trading and other income-generating activities to create wealth. He appealed to the Turkana community in Kenya to refrain from crossing into Uganda with guns and instead coexist peacefully with the Karamojong to foster wealth creation.
Mr. Loumo is one of the reformed warriors from Karamoja who surrendered their guns to the government and embraced peace. The 20 reformed raiders from Napak District who met with the president, under the coordination of Ms. Angolere, were part of the reformed Karacuna taken to Western Uganda for study tours aimed at changing their mindsets from cattle rustling to wealth creation.
Loumo urged the Karacuna and officials present at the Lokiriama Peace Accord in Turkana County to abandon their guns and embrace peace and socio-economic transformation for the betterment of the Ateker people.
In 2023, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Karacuna and reformed raiders under the mobilization of Ms Angolere and implored them to embrace peace and become agents of change in the entire Karamoja region and its neighbors.