TURKANA – Turkana leaders have engaged Ugandan authorities to allow Turkana pastoralists and their livestock to temporarily access pasture and water across the border, amid worsening pressure on grazing and water resources.
Turkana North MP Paul Ekwom Nabuin and Turkana West MP Daniel Epuyo Nanok led a three-day mission that began on August 31, 2026, visiting Turkana pastoralists in Usake/Morungole, Timu and Kamion kraals in Uganda.
The leaders sought the support of the Ugandan administration to enable the pastoralists to access pasture and water while peacefully coexisting with host communities.
“Our mission was to engage, sensitise, reconcile and support the Ugandan local administration to temporarily settle them to access pasture and water, while coexisting peacefully with their Ateker communities,” Nabuin said.
During the mission, the delegation and Ugandan authorities engaged both communities and stressed the need to respect Ugandan laws, promote peaceful coexistence and maintain good neighbourly relations.
The delegation also witnessed the peaceful handover of six stolen cows to the Ngidoso community of Uganda, in a move aimed at restoring trust and strengthening relations between the border communities.
Nabuin said continued engagement between communities on both sides of the border was key to addressing challenges facing pastoralists.
“The challenges facing our pastoral communities can best be addressed through mutual engagements across the borders,” Nabuin said.
The latest engagement comes amid a prolonged drought that has reduced water and grazing resources in Turkana, forcing pastoralists to move in search of pasture and water.
In July, Kenya’s Special Peace Envoy for the Ateker Region, John Munyes, warned that thousands of drought-stricken Turkana pastoralists could move into Uganda’s Karamoja region, particularly Kotido and Kaabong, as water sources and grazing land continued to dry up.
“There is no water in Kenya, but you, our brothers, have water. The only hope for our people is to push into Kotido and Kaabong,” Munyes said.
Munyes called for structured cross-border resource sharing and peaceful coexistence, urging Kenya and Uganda to establish mechanisms to manage livestock movement and prevent conflicts over shared resources.
The three-day cross-border mission is part of ongoing efforts to address pastoralists’ immediate need for water and pasture while strengthening relations between border communities and preventing tensions over shared resources.
