While these were meant to keep Amin at bay because of his territorial claims on Western Kenya (Pokot and Turkana areas were transferred to Kenya in 1921), they became a force unto themselves. With the ouster of Amin in 1979, the fall of Moroto barracks saw hundreds of Uganda soldiers flee to Pokot with their guns, which they instantly traded with locals, transforming Pokot cattle raids into deadly warfare. The Karimojong — usually the victims of armed Turkana raids — sold some of the Soviet weapons to the Pokots. That is why even today the gun profile of the Pokots, Turkana and the Karimonjong still reflects this Cold War reality. "You will notice that the tension always affects West Pokot, East Pokot and their neighbours,” Prof Maurice Amutabi, a historian and vice-chancellor of Lukenya University, says.

Source: Daily Nation April 22, 2017 22:50 UTC