A volatile land dispute was raging on the boundary between Kween District’s Kiriki Sub- County (primarily farming communities) and Amudat District (primarily inhabited by nomadic Pokot pastoralists) in Eastern Uganda. The conflict was directly tied to a change in the course of the River Kere, a tributary of the River Sipi that originated from Mount Elgon.
Environmental Change and Human Activity as the cause
The change in the river’s flow was believed to be a result of both natural and human-induced environmental degradation:
- Silting: Deforestation and poor farming practices, included agricultural encroachment near the river’s catchment areas, had led to significant soil erosion and subsequent silting of the River Kere. This built-up sediment had caused the riverbed to rise and the water to divert from its original channel.
- Climate Change: The overall impacts of climate change, led to unpredictable and intense rainfall, exacerbate the erosion and silting problem, making the river’s course unstable.
The first major diversions were reportedly observed as far back as 1997, indicating a long-term, unaddressed environmental crisis.
A Shifting Boundary
The River Kere traditionally served as a natural boundary between the two districts and their communities. The Pokot pastoralists of Amudat District follow water sources for their nomadic cattle-keeping lifestyle. Their traditional belief was that wherever River Kere flows, they had the right to occupy the land.
When the river changed its course due to silting, the Pokot herders began to follow the new path, effectively moving into and claiming land that had historically belonged to the settled farming communities of Kiriki Sub- County in Kween District.
The Consequences
The territorial dispute had turned violent, resulting in a number of severe impacts:
- Displacement and Land Grabbing: Kween District leaders estimated that more than 150 families had been displaced, with Pokot herders now occupying farmlands previously owned by Kween residents.
- Loss of Life: Deadly clashes had been reported as communities fight over the contested land.
- Vulnerability: Civil society organizations note that the conflict had made women and children particularly vulnerable, as mothers lost land for cultivation and children are forced to drop out of school.
Call for Government Intervention
Leaders and residents in Kween District were urgently appealing to the central government, specifically the Ministries of Lands and Local Government, to intervene. They argued that Amudat District was exploiting the environmental disaster to unjustly claim territory.
The call to action was for the government to:
- Reopen and Demarcate the Boundary: Officially survey and demarcate the administrative boundary to resolve the conflict once and for all, regardless of the river’s current flow.
- Address Environmental Degradation: Implement measures to restore the river’s catchment area, reduce silting, and promote sustainable land-use practices to prevent future flow changes.
