Moroto: Intense shock gripped residents of Rupa Sub-county in Moroto District, after a Karimojong Local Defence Unit personnel shot dead the Sub-county LC3 chairperson, following a disagreement over impounded stolen animals.
Dan Apollo, elder brother of David Pulkol the former government Director of Internal Security Organisation (ISO), was shot dead Tuesday morning at 8:00Am around Kidepo Trading Center in Rupa Sub-county in Moroto District.
Apollo met his death as he tried to stop the LDUs from diving away with the animals which had been impounded and kept by the army at the Kidepo detach.
The incident paralyzed the entire sub-county as the army and police battled to calm down the charged armed LDUS who went trigger happy and shot at everybody randomly.
According to security personnel, the LDUs who are attached to Kalosaric grazing area in Kotido District had followed up animals in Kidepo that were allegedly raided in Kotido.
“When these LDUs came, they wanted to take away the animals but the community refused them. Instead, the public called Apollo, as the area LC3 to help and address the situation. But when he arrived, the LDUs started shooting at people randomly and the third bullet hit the LC3 chairman,” an eyewitness said.
Major. Telesphar Turyamumanya confirmed the incident but said he was not in position to speak to the media until they calm down the situation.
“I will give a brief to the media, but not now because we are busy on the ground,” he said.
Karamoja region which had enjoyed peace for ten years after government successfully disarmed the Karimojong seems to have sunk back to the previous insecurity.
Since October 15, over 15 raids have happened in Karamoja sub-region, where leaders of Kotido claim they have lost over 4,000 cattle to raiders from Moroto and the Turkana of Kenya.
Last Friday the Member of Parliament for Kibale County, Richard Oseku Oriebo survived an ambush laid by suspected Karimojong warriors.
Oseku who before joining Parliament worked as Regional Internal Security Officer (RISO) Kidepo region based in Kotido district, was traveling with his family to Kotido to attend the marriage anniversary of one of his longtime friends, although none of his family members was injured in the ambush.
