small arms and light weapons among pastoral groups in the kenya ...

54 AFRICAN AFFAIRS
security forces, which robbed the locals of their cattle and were corrupt,
one feature that distinguished the original vigilantes was that they were not
influenced by corruption.
There were questions of who should have control of such a paramilitary
group, particularly with regard to finances. Interviews with the vigilante
noted that for months they were not paid, such that, with their families
starving, many deserted and reverted to warriorhood, cattle rustling and
banditry. Locals noted that the security situation was now worse, because
the deserting warriors were now better trained and were able to train others:
In 1997 people were paraded in their counties and they were being paid. However the
management deteriorated and they allowed these people (the vigilantes) to operate
illegally. It became a channel of settling personal scores. The police then demanded to
handle the money so in 1998 their money was taken back to the police. The police at
some point said the money was being misappropriated so it went back to the army.
The same thing happened with the army and the issue with the money has never been
sorted out to date. To me, what killed them was corruption. If they are taken care of
well, they should do a better job than the military. 42
‘The Vigilantes’ were entirely a Karamoja creation. Thus, districts ravaged
by cattle rustling, which neighboured Karamoja, demanded the creation of
a more cosmopolitan paramilitary unit that would extend to them. With
the start of the disarmament in 2001, LDUs were recruited; some of which
came from the vigilante groups and some from the karachunas (warriors). 43
But the conditions for those recruited did not improve. With the initial
understanding that they would reside in the community and be able to protect
their own cattle and people and with money to feed their own families,
they were disappointed to discover that they would often be used away
from home, residing in barracks and fighting the LRA in the north. A resident
district commissioner noted:
Since mid 2002, LDUs became discounted because of poor conditions of service.
The army misunderstood the presidential directive of recruiting and using the
LDUs as a reserve force, but now they are used as regular army and taken to fight
Kony with very little pay and work as slaves, so most of them have ended deserting
with their guns. 44
There were other reasons why the LDUs worsened the SALW problem.
Their creation was not imbedded in law, and it was unclear to whom they
were answerable. The police, the military and the elders were all able to
give commands. One must understand that, within their own communities,
these men had been used to prompt reaction, not to wait for orders
from a distant chain of command to which they felt little allegiance. Therefore,
42. Interview, name withheld, in Kampala, 17 May 2003.
43. Interviews in Karamoja, 2001–4.
44. Interview with resident district commissioner, name withheld, in Karamoja, 2004.