Kobebe Dam, one of Karamoja's largest man-made reservoirs, has run dry, leaving thousands of pastoralists from Uganda and neighbouring Kenya scrambling to find water for their livestock.
But local leaders and herders insist drought is only part of the story. They point to poor maintenance, damaged control valves and vandalism as forces that turned a hard dry season into a full-blown crisis.
Located in Rupa Sub-county, Moroto District, Kobebe has served pastoral communities across Karamoja and Turkana County since it was commissioned in 2010 by Uganda's Ministry of Water and Environment. Built for 6.7 billion Ugandan shillings, the reservoir had a capacity for about 2.3 billion litres of water.
Today, much of it has collapsed into thick sludge and stagnant, algae-covered pools.
Herders are trekking far beyond their usual routes in search of alternatives, and livestock migration patterns have been thrown off, pushing families into neighbouring areas earlier than normal.
Lokiru Peter, a pastoralist from Moroto, said the loss of water had left many with no option but to move.
"We depended on this dam throughout the dry season. Now we are walking much farther every day because there is almost no water left for our animals," he said.
Apalor Simon, a pastoralist from Napak District, said anxiety has gripped households.
"Every household is worried. Cattle are becoming weaker because the remaining water is dirty and grazing fields have dried up. We hope the government intervenes before more livestock are lost," he said.
For Turkana pastoralists who cross into Uganda during dry spells, Kobebe's collapse has hit an already fragile lifeline. Ekiru James, a Turkana herder, said the reservoir had long sustained families on both sides of the border.
"This dam has always been important to communities during difficult seasons. Without it, many families are struggling because there are very few reliable water sources left," he said.
Kenya's Special Peace Envoy, John Munyes, thanked Ugandan leaders and communities for continuing to accommodate Turkana herders despite the strain.
He said Ugandan authorities had not turned Kenyan pastoralists back even as water levels fell, choosing instead to keep engaging both governments and communities on solutions.
"There is no water in Kenya, but you, our brothers, have water. The only hope for our people is to push into Kotido and Kaabong," Munyes said, appealing for peace and cooperation.
Turkana Economic Adviser Mzee Ichor Imana called the drying of Kobebe a serious concern for communities that have leaned on it for years.
"Kobebe is not only important to the people of Karamoja. It is also a lifeline for Turkana pastoralists who cross the border in search of water and pasture. We appreciate the hospitality of our Ugandan brothers, but we must now work together to protect, maintain and expand such water sources," he said.
The infrastructure failures are stark.
Joseph Otita, LC3 Chairperson of Rupa Sub-county, said only four of the dam's eight control valves still function, allowing water to drain away after rainfall. Replacing each damaged valve costs about four million Ugandan shilling, a bill the local government cannot cover. He urged Uganda's national government to release emergency funds before the next rains.
Moroto District LCV Chairperson David Koryang blamed poor management and vandalism. The dam, he said, had operated without a permanent caretaker, and children playing around the regulating system had tampered with some installations.
Koryang said a community water management committee had now been formed to tighten oversight. Pastoralists using the facility will contribute 25,000 Ugandan shillings a year towards maintenance and security.
The crisis has reached the national stage. Speaking at a cross-border traditional wedding in Rupa, Uganda's Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Dr. Lokii John Baptist, called for urgent rehabilitation of Kobebe, describing it as vital to pastoral survival.
He also announced that Uganda's livestock vaccination programme against tick-borne diseases would be extended to Kenyan pastoralists whose cattle graze legally in Uganda.
Kobebe is not alone. Arecek Dam in Napak and Longoromit Dam in Kaabong are also seeing water levels fall.
For pastoral households on both sides of the border, the fate of Kobebe is about more than one reservoir. It captures the deepening struggle to sustain pastoral life in a region squeezed by climate stress, broken infrastructure and years of thin investment in water management.
