What is fueling persistent cattle raiding in Kapelebyong?

The continued raiding of cattle by the Karimojong in Kapelebyong district in Uganda's northeast has been blamed on the cultural belief in the ownership of animals in the region.

Richard Enyagu is the councilor representing Kapelebyong Town Council in the district.

He said this following the theft of 21 heads of cattle by the Karimojong warriors last week in Anyangan village in Kapelebyong.

Enyagu said that cattle raiding has affected the economic activities in the region, including trade and agriculture.

He encouraged stakeholders to work together with the security to curb the vice of cattle theft in the district.

"When you look critically, what is actually making the Karimojong to be serial thugs, cattle raiders, culture is one of them," he said.

"The world has changed. You find every Karimojong youth now wants to buy a motorcycle. Their terrain and the weather situation and their landscape — some places do not support agriculture.

"One of the economic activities that they think [of] is keeping animals and for them, whenever they look at any cattle that they see around, they claim it will be theirs so, therefore, the shortest route is to stay."