HOW SAFE IS KENYA BORDERS WITH UGANDA? FOLLOWING UGANDAN SECURITY PERSONNEL’S DISCOVERY LAST WEEK OF 3,260 BULLETS IN A BUS ON DESTINATION TO BUSIA BORDER TOWN
Commentary by Leo Odera Omolo In Busia Town.
The time is ripe for the authorities in Kenya to redouble the efforts in security checks on all types of vehicle entering the country from along it Western borders with the neighboring Uganda.
Both Kenya and Uganda have established three border posts, namely at Busia and Malaba towns and also at Lwakhakha on Mt Elgon district.
There are, however, routes used as outlets by racketeers and smugglers of goods from both sides of the common border posts. These are commonly called “Panya Routes”. These are the popular smugglers’ routes, but they are used only for ferrying small baggage on boda boda cycle taxis, which may pass easily without attracting the eyes of security personnel or tax officials.
However, last week’s discovery, by the Ugandan police, of 3,260 bullets, suspected to be destined for the Busia town on the Kenya – Uganda border, has sent shock waves to many Kenyans living along the borderline of the countries on land.
The country bus was travelling from Gulu town in Northern Uganda and headed for Busia town. It was stopped at a police check-point mounted near Awoja Bridge in Soroti district. Two men, who are suspected to be members of the UDPF and who were suspected to be involved in the rackets, are currently in custody. Police have said they would be charged in a court martial, giving their credentials that the suspects were members of the UPDF.
The two suspects, Bilali Kabangi, 52, and Muhammed Chemadawa Mwanga, were nabbed. Both the suspects hail from Kaptanya sub-county in the Ugandan Eastern region. The two suspects are still in police custody and would be charged in a court martial. The operation in which the two suspect were netted was led by Maj. Jeff Okwii Omoding.
The majority of the inhabitants of Ugandan eastern tip district of Kapchorwa are members of the Sebei, a Kalenjin sub-tribe, which is inter-related to the Sebei / Sabaot of Kenya. The district is situated on slopes of the Ugandan side of the Mt. Elgon.
After a thorough search at the Soroti Police Station, and consultations with senior police bosses in Kampala, the bus, its crew, and passengers were left to proceed on with their journey. The suspects were ushered into the office of the office of the district police commander Mr. Onesmus Mwesigwa for further interrogation.
The bullets, found wrapped in polythene paper and blankets, were hidden inside two light travelling bags.
This startling discovery of bullets, suspected to be on their ways to Kenya, came only a week after the security chiefs from the two countries met in Kampala and agreed on certain key-points of eradicating small arms proliferation in the region. Kenya’s team was led by Internal Security Assistant minister Joshua Orwa Ojode.
Omojon’ was last week quoted by the semi-government owned NEWVISION as saying that the two suspect would face a court martial soon after the investigations are complete.
It could be worth remembering that only two years ago, the Kenya government was forced to deploy the Kenya Army and the crack paramilitary General Service Unit {GSU} to bring down the rebellion mounted by the rag-tag guerrilla insurgents called Mt Elgon People Land Defense Force.
The activities of the rebels in Mt Kenya district, which started simply like simple land disputes, claimed the lives of over 2000 people and it forced the government to go into full force by deploying its military might in the operation code named Okoa Maisha.
Several court cases are still pending in Narok and Eldoret, over the last year’s discovery of over 11,000 pieces of live ammunition and other assortment of deadly weapons, in a Narok shop building owned by as Kenyan trader of Asian origin. A senior administration policeman is also facing similar charges.
The discovery, following a revelation by the British Press, to the effect that certain people were stockpiling arms in various parts of the rift Valley Province, to be used in causing chaos and mayhem. The government fiercely denied the foreign press, mostly the British Press, which has a lot of insight about the goings in Kenya..
Many interviewed residents, of the border towns at Busia and Malaba, admitted having suspected that a lot of small arms are finding their way into Kenya from its Western border with Uganda. They believe and that most of the arms and that their destination are to flash spots where cattle rustlings are so common The new dimension includes the trouble spots where land skirmishes have occurred, such as Burnt Forest, Kuresoi, Molo, Elburgon, Mau Narok, Nakuru and other parts of Central, North and Southern Rift where the land clashes have occurred, But others believe that the smuggling rackets have increased ever since the post-election violence of 2008.
They believe that certain political personalities from Kenya have been crossing into Uganda while shopping for arms for their communities in preparation for any future mayhem.
For many years, the neighboring, but ungovernable Republic of Somalia, has been the major source of destabilization in Kenya. Hundreds of Somali refugees crossing into Kenya are believed to have brought a lot of arms into the country. Most of them are used by thugs, carjackers and bank robberies in the capital, other towns, and urban areas. But last week revelation about the discovery of arms from Uganda baffles many people.
Kenya government, via its security agents, should therefore follow last week’s incident at the Uganda border with a lot of interest, and monitor the movement of the vehicles entering the country from Uganda – – even the steamers and ships moving on waters of Lake Victoria.
Ends