The Local Council III (LCIII) chairperson of Ongongoja sub-county in Katakwi district, William Omeke, has been arrested by security for his alleged involvement in the theft of 22 heads of cattle from Poron sub-county in Napak district, Karamoja sub-region.

Omeke was apprehended alongside his two nephews, identified as Simon Peter Morotum, a butcher in Usuk Town council and a UPDF soldier, whose details are still withheld.

Major Godfrey Katanga, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Katakwi, said that most of the raids are fueled by the Karamojong and the indigenous Itesots themselves.

‘’Katakwi has been facing a lot of cattle theft as a result of a collaboration of indigenous Iteso with Karamojong warriors,’’ he said.

According to the RDC, the situation has grown more sophisticated because of a new theft wave in the sub-region.

‘’We realized that the Karamojong warriors are simply helped by some of our indigenous Itesots, who are thieves as well,’’ Katanga said.

Earlier on Wednesday, May 23, 2022, General David Muhoozi, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, said that it has been an uphill task curbing rustlers.

‘’The paramilitary operational nature of the cattle rustlers makes it difficult to curb cattle rustling in Karamoja and parts of Teso,’’ he noted.

According to the minister, intelligence organizations had been tasked with identifying hotspots for deployment, especially for cattle rustlers coming into Agago district from the Karamoja region.

The joint security forces comprising both the army and police have also reported that they killed up to 251 suspected cattle restlers following the relaunch of disarmament operations in the northeastern sub-region last year.

In the same period, at least 1,626 suspected rustlers were arrested, and a total of 14,898 livestock were recovered. Security forces also recovered at least 160 guns.