Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has demanded that the Kenyan government compensate Uganda for the deaths of three geologists and two soldiers who were allegedly killed by Turkana warriors in March 2022.
Speaking during a rally at Kalas Girls Primary School grounds on Tuesday, Museveni insisted that the matter would not be ignored, emphasizing the need for justice and reconciliation between the two nations.
“The Kenyan government will pay for the lives of those killed. After the elections, I will hold a ceremony with President Ruto in Moroto for the Kenyan government to compensate the families of the victims,” Museveni declared.
He further explained that the compensation event would take place in Moroto District, Northern Uganda, and would be attended by President William Ruto.
Museveni added that the ceremony would also include elders, bishops, and Muslim clerics, who would perform a traditional cleansing ritual to symbolically “wash away the blood” of the deceased.
“The Turkana still owe a debt for the lives they took. I told President Ruto that if those responsible cannot afford to pay, then the Kenyan government must step in,” he said.
Background: The 2022 Moroto Attack
The demand traces back to a violent attack in March 2022, when Turkana warriors reportedly ambushed and killed three Ugandan geologists from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, along with two Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers assigned to protect them.
The team was conducting a mineral mapping exercise in Moroto, near the Uganda–Kenya border, when they were suddenly attacked.
Museveni stressed that while Uganda and Kenya have enjoyed strong bilateral relations, the deaths of the five Ugandans remained a sensitive unresolved issue that must be addressed through both compensation and reconciliation ceremonies.