Community leaders and residents from Napak and Nabilatuk districts have demanded immediate, stringent measures against cattle thieves to prevent the region from sliding back into full-scale lawlessness.
The stakeholders made the frantic call during a joint grassroots security meeting convened by the 3 Infantry Division at Nabwal Sub-County in Nabilatuk district.
The Commander of the 3 Infantry Division, Major General Wilberforce Sserunkuma, chaired the high-level dialogue.
The meeting mobilized District and Sub-County Security Committees, Peace Committees, LC I chairpersons, kraal leaders, Members of Parliament, religious leaders, opinion leaders, and women representatives.
These delegates represented the security-stressed sub-counties of Kosike, Nabilatuk, Natirae, Nabwal, Lorengecora, and Lotome.
Maj Gen Sserunkuma ordered youth in the sub-region to abandon the lucrative black market of livestock theft and embrace legal livelihoods.
The commander warned that the military will arrest and prosecute all cattle thieves alongside their corporate collaborators.
“Poverty breeds insecurity,” Maj Gen Sserunkuma noted. “Work hard and walk out of poverty. The small illegal activity of cattle stealing will only take us back to cattle rustling and may cause lawlessness. Report any suspicious wrong elements so they are apprehended before havoc befalls you,” he added.
The army commander directed Resident District Commissioners to immediately decentralize safety operations by holding regular security committee meetings at the sub-county level.
“Don’t wait for the District Security Committee to handle all security matters,” Maj Gen Sserunkuma directed. “Let sub-counties conduct security committees so that security matters are also tackled from the grassroots,” he said.
The Resident District Commissioner of Napak, Mr Milton Odong, alongside his Nabilatuk counterpart, Mr Lotem Linos, promised to launch aggressive disarmament operations against civilians holding illegal firearms who refuse to surrender them voluntarily.
Bokora County Member of Parliament Emmanuel Illukol noted that local communities must actively expose criminals within their villages to make the crackdown effective.
The LCV Chairpersons of Nabilatuk and Napak, Paul Kodet and Paul Lokol, respectively, urged families to embrace government development programs to eliminate the economic drivers of rustling.
During the heated interactions, local residents voiced bitter concerns over the frequent, suspicious release of arrested cattle suspects by judicial authorities.
The community members argued that the premature release of suspects allows repeat offenders to return and terrorize families.
To fix the security gaps, the communities proposed enforcing heavier prison sentences against convicted thieves, increasing troop deployment in vulnerable border areas, and sustaining day and night patrols around kraals.
The cross-district meeting concluded with a binding commitment between security agencies and local leaders to share intelligence and aggressively protect community livelihoods.
