Kenya, Uganda to sign cross-border deal to end Turkana-Karamojong clashes

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (left) and Kenyan President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi on July 30, 2025. (Photo: PCS)

By Rachael Mutabasi
Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The proposed deal comes in response to years of violent confrontations, including cattle raids and clashes that have destabilised the border region.

Kenya and Uganda are on the verge of signing a groundbreaking cross-border agreement aimed at ending decades of violent clashes between the Turkana and Karamojong communities, as Presidents William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni move to establish a peaceful framework for sharing water and pasture along the two countries’ northern border.

During a bilateral meeting at State House, Nairobi on Tuesday, Presidents Ruto and Museveni agreed to fast-track the signing of a landmark cross-border resource-sharing agreement that will allow pastoralists from both sides to access water and pasture under a peaceful and structured arrangement. Museveni is in the country for an official visit.

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Ruto described the upcoming agreement as a critical step toward lasting harmony between the two neighbouring communities that have long clashed over grazing land and water resources.

“On behalf of the people and government of Kenya, and particularly on behalf of Turkana County, I sincerely appreciate your consideration of some of our Kenyans incarcerated in Uganda,” he said. “We are on the brink of signing a transformative agreement that will promote harmony and peaceful coexistence between the Turkana of Kenya and the Karamojong of Uganda.”

The proposed deal comes in response to years of violent confrontations, including cattle raids and clashes that have destabilised the border region. It also follows growing concern over the fate of Kenyan herders imprisoned in Uganda after cross-border incidents.

In April 2023, 32 Kenyan pastoralists from Urum and Lokiriama were arrested during a Ugandan disarmament operation. Initially sentenced to 20 years in prison, they were released after serving one year—an episode that heightened calls for a formal cross-border framework.

President Ruto thanked his Ugandan counterpart for responding to concerns over the detained herders and expressed hope for a long-term solution through both diplomatic and cultural engagement.

“We appreciate your government’s efforts and goodwill regarding the Turkana herders who were incarcerated. We aim to resolve such issues comprehensively going forward,” Ruto said.

Frequent droughts in northern Kenya have forced Turkana herders to move into Uganda in search of pasture, often triggering tension. Local and regional leaders have previously called for structured resource-sharing mechanisms, including during a high-level meeting in February 2023 led by Uganda’s senior presidential adviser on defence, General Salim Saleh.

President Ruto emphasised that the agreement represents more than a diplomatic gesture, calling it a concrete step toward improving lives in the often-neglected border region.

“These agreements signify our joint resolve to turn our cooperation into practical results that will directly uplift the lives of both our peoples,” Ruto added, underscoring that the deal is more than just a diplomatic move.

Apart from the resource-sharing pact, the two leaders also discussed wider cooperation in trade, infrastructure, and regional security. Ruto expressed optimism that the agreement will be finalised before the end of the year.