The government has issued an apology to Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, and his administration following the killing of three geologists and two soldiers in Turkana county in February this year.
Reports indicated that the geologists were at the Kenya - Uganda border collecting soil samples when they encountered armed pastoralists.
Following the incident, Museveni's government banned Turkana pastoralists from grazing in Kobebe, Uganda, which has affected most of the pastoralists from the county.
During a meeting between the Kenyan and Ugandan delegations on Wednesday, April 6, former Petroleum Cabinet Secretary, John Munyes, expressed the country's remorse over the incident, further pleading with Museveni's government to pardon Kenya.
He urged the Ugandan side to allow pastoralists to continue grazing on the Ugandan side given the drought situation in the country.
“If it was not for Uganda, Turkana cows would have been finished by now and that is why we are pleading with Uganda to allow the Turkana to return and graze their livestock in Karamoja,” stated Munyes.
Additionally, Lokiriama Deputy County Commissioner, Yacob Tirop, returned weapons that were recovered from the murdered Ugandan soldiers.
Tirop added that the security agencies in Kenya were still conducting investigations into the matter, promising to bring the perpetrators to book.
On its part, the Ugandan delegation led by Brigadier Joseph Balikudembe stated that Kenya will still have to meet other demands before pastoralists are allowed to graze in Uganda.
He added that more of the stolen ammunition was yet to be returned, asking the Kenyan government to do so.
"You have not handed us the guns that they used for killing our soldiers and suspects. Even one of our guns had 120 ammunition but you have handed us an empty magazine. Where are the bullets?
“We can’t answer your request right now for the Turkana to come back to Uganda because first of all, you have only handed over to us the guns that the Turkana took from our soldiers after killing them," Balikudembe stated.
