Members of Parliament from West Pokot County have accused the government of carrying out a security operation at Kainuk area along the border with Turkana County without consulting them.
The legislators who addressed a press conference at Parliament buildings raised concerns that the government was favouring their neighbours, a move that will serve to aggravate the situation instead of coming up with a permanent solution.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing and Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee asked why the government looked like it was responding to blackmail from the leadership of Turkana County in the matter instead of looking for the best way of ensuring that law and order was maintained.
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“As leaders from West Pokot County we are disturbed the government decided to launch a security operation in Kainuk without finding it necessary to inform us, which raises a lot of questions on whether there was an intention to ensure harmony,” said Pkosing.
Lotee said that it was sad that leaders from their neighbouring county were bragging that they have one of their own in charge of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and that they will ensure that the disputed border is in Turkana.
The Kacheliba MP said that at least 18 residents have been killed in the area by armed cattle rustlers from the neighbouring county and that it was high time the government dealt with individuals who are out to cause animosity along the border between the two counties.
Lotee said that it was wrong for the government to look like it was responding to leaders from the other county who are blackmailing it in order to launch a security operation without involving both parties in the conflict.
“We are appealing to President William Ruto to intervene in this matter to ensure the residents of West Pokot County are treated fairly in this security operation,” said Lotee.
MPs from Turkana last month raised an alarm over a devastating wave of banditry attacks that they said had claimed least five lives in the last two months, despite the heavy presence of multi-agency security forces deployed in the region.
The legislators accused the security teams for failing to protect residents, recover stolen livestock worth millions of Shillings and even of brutalising the very communities they are deployed to safeguard which raised concerns as to the reason they were there in the first place.
The outcry followed an attack in September in Kainuk area, where an officer attached to National Police Reservists and a young adult were killed by bandits from the neighbouring Pokot community.
Turkana South MP John Ariko, condemned the escalating violence and the security forces’ response detailing a worrying chronology of raids that have left the Aroo sub-County under siege since last August.
“Since August last year, Aroo sub-County has been under siege, raiders targeted Kainuk Lomosingo Irrigation Scheme only for them to be repelled by the bravery of our National Police Reservists who have now come under persecution instead of being commended,” said Ariko.
The MP listed a series of incidents, including a raid on Kakongu Village on September 3 where 350 shoats (sheep and goats) were stolen, and an attack on Kainuk Mixed Secondary School on September 8, where bandits breached the fence and stole sheep paid as school fees.
However, Ariko expressed profound shock at the conduct of the security forces, which include the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), General Service Unit (GSU), and Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), among others.
“It is disturbing to see how the multi-agency team has turned on our people by brutalising them, inflicting bruises as well as arresting a Kakongu NPR seeking ammunition replenishment, this is a betrayal of trust, our protectors cannot turn out to be our oppressors,” said Ariko.
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Members of Parliament from West Pokot County have accused the government of carrying out a security operation at Kainuk area along the border with Turkana County without consulting them.
The legislators who addressed a press conference at Parliament buildings raised concerns that the government was favouring their neighbours, a move that will serve to aggravate the situation instead of coming up with a permanent solution.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing and Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee asked why the government looked like it was responding to blackmail from the leadership of Turkana County in the matter instead of looking for the best way of ensuring that law and order was maintained.
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“As leaders from West Pokot County we are disturbed the government decided to launch a security operation in Kainuk without finding it necessary to inform us, which raises a lot of questions on whether there was an intention to ensure harmony,” said Pkosing.
Lotee said that it was sad that leaders from their neighbouring county were bragging that they have one of their own in charge of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and that they will ensure that the disputed border is in Turkana.
The Kacheliba MP said that at least 18 residents have been killed in the area by
armed cattle rustlers
from the neighbouring county and that it was high time the government dealt with individuals who are out to cause animosity along the border between the two counties.
Lotee said that it was wrong for the government to look like it was responding to leaders from the other county who are blackmailing it in order to launch a security operation without involving both parties in the conflict.
“We are appealing to President William Ruto to intervene in this matter to ensure the residents of West Pokot County are treated fairly in this security operation,” said Lotee.
MPs from Turkana last month raised an alarm over a devastating wave of banditry attacks that they said had claimed least five lives in the last two months, despite the heavy presence of multi-agency security forces deployed in the region.
The legislators accused the security teams for failing to protect residents, recover stolen livestock worth millions of Shillings and even of
brutalising the very communities
they are deployed to safeguard which raised concerns as to the reason they were there in the first place.
The outcry followed an attack in September in Kainuk area, where an officer attached to National Police Reservists and a young adult were killed by bandits from the neighbouring Pokot community.
Turkana South MP John Ariko, condemned the escalating violence and the security forces’ response detailing a worrying chronology of raids that have left the Aroo sub-County under siege since last August.
“Since August last year, Aroo sub-County has been under siege, raiders targeted Kainuk Lomosingo Irrigation Scheme only for them to be repelled by the bravery of our National Police Reservists who have now come under persecution instead of being commended,” said Ariko.
The MP listed a series of incidents, including a raid on Kakongu Village on September 3 where 350 shoats (sheep and goats) were stolen, and an attack on Kainuk Mixed Secondary School on September 8, where bandits breached the fence and
stole sheep paid as school fees
.
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However, Ariko expressed profound shock at the conduct of the security forces, which include the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), General Service Unit (GSU), and Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), among others.
“It is disturbing to see how the multi-agency team has turned on our people by brutalising them, inflicting bruises as well as arresting a Kakongu NPR seeking ammunition replenishment, this is a betrayal of trust, our protectors cannot turn out to be our oppressors,” said Ariko.
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By Edwin Nyarangi