August 1st, 2012
More than 200 Pokot pastoralist families displaced by armed conflict at the Kenya-Uganda border have been resettled in Orolwo village in Pokot North District by a local non governmental organisation.
The affected families that reside in Kanyerus, Asilong and Konyao locations were routed from their villages, due to frequent crossborder cattle rustling and banditry activities, among the Pokot, Sebei and Karamojong communities.
The programme coordinator, Sikom Peace Network for Development Joseph Akoule said, his organisation together with two others, spent Sh100,000 to construct 20 iron roofed semi-permanent houses. Akoule said, the victims majority of them widows, orphans disabled persons and the elderly, were living in abject poverty and appealed to the government and international humanitarian relief organisations to provide financial support to families.
Gladys Ayara, one of the widows who benefited from the houses said her husband was shot dead by Karamojong cattle rustlers in 1992 and made away with 120 head of animals, their only source of livelihood. The widow of nine children said, she has been surviving with the help of relatives, burning charcoal and selling firewood to feed her children. The West Pokot district chairperson of Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation, Mary Mariech and her counterpart the district peace committee chairman Simon Alew commended the organisations for building the houses for the displaced families. They claimed more than 50,000 people had been displaced because of armed conflict in the past ten years.
Source: All Africa
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