Turkana Leaders Finalize Blood Compensation Talks for Slain Ugandan Geologists & UPDF Soldiers

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]And then on the right you have the formal In March 2022, a team of Ugandan geologists, including Makerere University intern identified as Edina Musiime, was attacked and killed alongside UPDF escorts while conducting a government mineral mapping exercise in Moroto District. According to security reports and survivor accounts, the armed Turkana warriors allegedly ignored explanations from the team's translator about the purpose of the mission before opening fire and killing the five Ugandans on the spot. Following the incident, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni issued an executive order number three of 2023 directing the Kenyan government or Turkana local authorities compensate the victims' families through a traditional blood settlement arrangement. After prolonged diplomatic and bilateral negotiations, leaders from Kenya's Turkana count are negotiating to pay 77,000 Kenyan shillings. Yet Uganda leaders are asking them to pay US dollars 4.3 million as compensation to each Ugandan family affected.

[00:01:03]We have made some proposals uh take into account the high level of education of the geologists, number of years they would have worked, uh the loss to Uganda, loss to their families, and also the the soldiers. We had an officer who was a lieutenant, then we had uh two others who are privates.

[00:01:21]Kadaga explained that once both parties agree on the compensation arrangements, the president of Uganda will issue a prerogative letter of mercy to pardon those involved and allow them to return to Kenya. Because the Kenya government would like the the hearts to be released and taken back to Kenya.

[00:01:39]But the president of Uganda told them that we cannot release them until we have compensated the families of those who died.

[00:01:44]So now the first step is to uh agree the compensation, let it be paid, and then we can deal with the issue of uh returning them to Kenya. The Minister in charge of Karamoja affairs, Peter Lokeris, said the discussions also covered agreed routes to be used by the Turkana community while accessing Uganda together with additional guidelines aimed at promoting peace and preventing future conflicts."

[00:02:08]They are not you know meant to follow like human beings.

[00:02:13]They go to grazing, they don't disturb when they are peacefully moving.

[00:02:18]So, when they want the a route you must put a width of distances across.

[00:02:27]Cows cannot be gathered in one place.

[00:02:29]They will even step on grass and the whole place becomes a desert.

[00:02:33]So, those we can discuss about.

[00:02:36]Because why we are saying there must be some rules to organize is really for purpose of security.

[00:02:42]>> Exactly. Otherwise, if it was there was nothing and there was a peace, the cows would continue moving. The mineral mapping team had been collecting soil samples for a government survey exercise at the time of the attack.

[00:02:55]Shaded to massacre. The mineral rich