Communities that depend on River Kere, the water body jointly shared by Kween and Amudat districts in eastern Uganda, are embroiled in land and boundary-related conflicts following a recent shift in the river’s course.
The river’s diversion, which has pitted farming communities in Kiriki Sub-county, Kween District, against the nomadic Pokot pastoralists from Amudat District, is believed to be a result of climate change. The shift has sparked a boundary dispute over approximately five square miles of land, becoming a source of violent conflict.
Authorities in Kween District allege that Pokot herders have forcefully taken over land previously occupied by residents of Kiriki Sub-county, using the river’s new course to justify their claims. They argue that this takeover is unjust and not supported by any formal boundary realignment.
Mr Alfred Chelimo, the LC3 chairperson of Kiriki Sub-county, has condemned the displacement of residents and seizure of their land, saying it has left hundreds of families in his community landless. ‘Because the Pokot nomadic cattle keepers follow River Kere wherever it flows, they’ve engaged in deadly clashes and forcibly evicted people from land that historically belonged to Kiriki Sub-county.
When the river changed course, likely due to silting, the Pokot from Amudat took advantage of this to seize land from our people,’ Mr Chelimo said during a Ministry of Lands and civil society land awareness campaign on August 28. Kween District leaders estimate that the boundary conflict has displaced more than 150 families, with Pokot herders now occupying farmland previously owned by Kween residents. Mr Muhamed Bushendichi Kaptaracha, the Kween District councillor representing Kiriki Sub-county, said the government’s failure to resolve the dispute amounts to a grave injustice.
‘Amudat District is exploiting the river’s diversion to claim land originally occupied by our people. Despite repeated appeals, there has been no meaningful response. The Pokot have grabbed land from our communities,’ he said in an interview with the Daily Monitor on September 14. Mr Andrew Sabila, a resident of Kiriki Sub-county, reported losing eight acres of family land following a raid by Pokot cattle keepers. ‘I lost land in 2017 when the Pokot grabbed over eight acres that belonged to my family. We are helpless. The government must intervene and resolve this boundary dispute,’ he said.
Others, like Mr Simon Muhwana from Chemurot Village, argued that the Pokot falsely believe they own the river and its surrounding areas. He urged the government to restore the original district boundaries. The Kween District LC5 Chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Chelongoi, said some residents in Kiriki have been denied their ancestral land rights due to the river’s diversion. He added that multiple pleas to the Ministry of Lands for a boundary reopening have gone unanswered.
‘We’ve lost lives in these deadly clashes. The Pokot believe that wherever River Kere flows, they have the right to occupy the land. We urgently need boundary demarcations,’ Mr Chelongoi told the Daily Monitor on September 28.
On their part, authorities in Amudat District blame government inaction for the escalating conflict. Mr Joseph Silangwa Sirikwo, the LC5 chairperson of Amudat District, acknowledged the existence of the dispute and urged government to intervene. ‘Because River Kere has changed its course, our cattlekeeping communities follow the new river path. We’ve raised this issue multiple times with the Ministries of Lands, Local Government, and Tourism, calling for a boundary reopening to prevent further clashes, but no action has been taken,’ he said.
Environmental impact, river silting
Environmental experts attribute the river’s shift largely to human activity. Mr Isaac Masaba, a land management officer at Kween District Local Government, said deforestation and agricultural encroachment near River Sipi and River Kere’s catchment areas have caused significant silting. ‘River diversions can occur naturally or due to human interference. In River Kere’s case, silting, especially on the lower side in Kween District, has led to a major change in course, with diversions first reported as far back as 1997,’ Mr Masaba said. Environmentalists further warn that silting and riverbed blockages caused by farming and vegetation clearance have led to unpredictable water flows. This has complicated the land ownership situation in the affected areas.
Call for government action
Civil society organisations have also weighed in. Ms Esther Kisembo, programme coordinator at Action Aid Uganda, said the ongoing conflict has left women and children particularly vulnerable. ‘In Kiriki Sub-county, many mothers have lost land for cultivation, and children have dropped out of school. Families are landless and homeless. The situation demands urgent government attention,’ she said. Mr Hassan Abdalah Byantalo, a lands officer at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, confirmed that the dispute between Kween and Amudat districts is among the priority land issues to be addressed. ‘Our ongoing national land awareness campaign is meant to identify and address land conflicts like this one by engaging all relevant stakeholders,’ he said.
Background
River Kere, a tributary of River Sipi, originates from Mount Elgon and has been experiencing increased silting due to a combination of natural factors and human activity, including deforestation and poor farming practices. Heavy rainfall and land clearing in the 1990s contributed to soil erosion and subsequent silting, leading to significant diversions in the river’s path. In Kween and Amudat districts, this change in River Kere’s course has sparked territorial disputes, resulting in displacement, injuries, and reported loss of lives.
Landless residents
Because the Pokot nomadic cattle keepers follow River Kere wherever it flows, they’ve engaged in deadly clashes and forcibly evicted people from land that historically belonged to Kiriki Sub-county. When the river changed course, likely due to silting, the Pokot from Amudat took advantage of this to seize land from our people- Mr Alfred Chelimo, LC3 chairperson of Kiriki sub-county.