Thousands of Turkana herders, who have gathered at the Kenya-Uganda border, have reported losing documents and other belongings during a military crackdown in Uganda.
Over the past week, these individuals have returned to Kenya in response to an ultimatum issued by President Yoweri Museveni earlier this year.
Museveni had given the herders and their families six months to leave Uganda following the alleged killings of a geologist and Ugandan soldiers by unidentified gunmen in the region.
For many years, these herders and their families migrated to Bokora and Kotido in the larger Karamoja region of Uganda in search of water and pasture, having fled from devastating droughts in parts of Turkana.
Several herders have reported the loss of identification documents, including national IDs and birth certificates, which were allegedly confiscated by Ugandan authorities during their stay.
"Many innocent herders from Turkana were subjected to torture in response to the geologist's killing. We believe they were punished for a crime they did not commit. We have chosen to return to Kenya and face the drought situation rather than be arrested and tortured," said John Losuwat, one of the returnees.
Losuwat further said the men endured repeated instances of torture and were coerced into confessing to offences such as possessing unlicensed firearms. He made the decision to return to his home country to avoid inhumane treatment.
"They forced us to produce guns which we didn't have, and if we plead our innocence we are subjected to cruelty to an extent that we confess to crimes we have not committed," he said.
Losuwat continued: "In some cases, we were forced to sell our livestock to buy guns which are given to Ugandan authorities after we admit owning them, just to be set free."
Another returnee, Ekale Lokiru, says herders lost a huge number of their livestock in the pasture-rich areas of Uganda following raids and seizures by mean security forces.
Lokiru on Friday said he was returning to Kenya a pauper, yet he had left the country with nearly 100 cattle. "I am walking back to Turkana to die peacefully because I lost my livelihood within a short period.
"Life is unbearable back home without the source of livelihood," he said. James Losuwa asked the county government to help the herders regain their wealth and find ways to have 30 Kenyans detained released.
"We hope the international community will intervene so that the 30 detainees are tried in civilian courts," he said. Lokeris Emuria echoed the sentiments of the returnees, saying they were forced to surrender identification documents while in Uganda.
