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Pokot Kill 17 in Clashes At Kenya Border

The Monitor (Kampala)
NEWS
January 9, 2003
Posted to the web January 10, 2003

By Richard M. Kavuma
Kampala
Kenya's Pokot cattle rustlers killed 17 local defence troops in Nakapiripirit
on Monday, the army has said.
Kenya's Daily Nation reported yesterday that 15 UPDF soldiers and three Pokot
were killed in clashes on Monday.
The story said UPDF soldiers from Karita detach, 12km from the Kenya-Uganda
border, and local defence troops, were shot at by the Pokot.
But UPDF spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza said the 17 troops killed were local
vigilantes and not regular soldiers.
UPDF recruited the vigilantes to guard Karimojong against Pokot rustlers, as
the army started disarming the Karimojong in December 2001.
The Ugandan forces are said to have been tracking Kenyan and Ugandan Pokot, who
stole cattle from the Karimojong last month.
Bantariza said the Pokot had blocked the road to Amudat but UPDF had been sent
in to re-open the road.
"The officers are still checking the area to establish exactly how many people
were killed," Bantariza said.
Meanwhile, the UPDF has killed 21 LRA rebels over the past week. Bantariza told
the cabinet briefing at Nakasero yesterday that 10 rebels were captured and 25
abductees rescued.
The army also recovered 21 rifles and 470 rounds of ammunition, losing one
soldier in the process.
"The figures are small because the rebels do not have many people with them,"
Bantariza said.
He said the army was looking forward to completely incapacitating the rebels
during the coming dry season.

   

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