Umbilical relation between livestock raids and dowry

By Kevin Tunoi

Turkana, Kenya: Those who live by the sword, sages said, die by the sword. However, for Edia Long’ore, a reformed cattle rustler in Turkana, the script reads differently.

He is fortunate that his story has a positive ending, despite traversing Turkana and West Pokot counties engaging in cattle rustling.

The activity, ironically, is blamed on marriage, a union in which peace is celebrated. In Turkana tradition, marriage is dignified and a married man is the envy of many since he proves he is both a warrior and a protector of his family.

Since time immemorial, the bride’s parents in Turkana and Pokot communities demand huge numbers of livestock as dowry. This is what triggers cattle rustling among pastoralists.

“My first attempt at the vice was when my friends realised we needed wives. But we lacked the cattle needed to pay dowry,” Long’ore said.

Off-guard

He did not own a gun yet, so he joined a group of 10 armed youths with bows and arrows. Some, however, had AK47s and G3 rifles.

Long’ore explained that they left their village at 6pm and walked through the bare, sandy, arid area towards West Pokot County.

“We arrived at a certain village in the wee hours of the morning and caught them off-guard. Those with guns shot in the air as I hid behind some shrubs with my bow and arrow,” he stated.

Long’ore narrated that amid screams and gunfire, they made away with over 500 head of cattle and 300 goats. When they arrived home, they were received as heroes. Most girls offered themselves as wives.

“After the successful mission, we divided the animals equally. Those who wanted to marry paid dowry,” said Long’ore.

But he changed his mind about getting married after seeing the potential of the vice to get more livestock. “I exchanged my cows for an AK47 rifle and bullets and that is when the vice took over my life. We raided several Pokot villages,” he said.

Normal business

When he acquired the gun, Long’ore rarely missed a raid and was among the highly skilled bandits who would return home unscathed. He engaged in the crime alongside other bandits for more than 10 years.

“We killed many people but we also lost our colleagues in gun fights. It was normal for us. Nothing came easy. I am just lucky to be alive today,” he said.

Long’ore explained that they did not fear police officers in the area as raids were staged by hundreds of bandits who easily overpowered security officers.

“Most police officers deployed to hardship areas are fresh graduates afraid of being killed. All we had to do was surround them. Sometimes they did not fire a single shot,” he said.

He reformed in 2007 after the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) asked him to abandon his lifestyle.

He said NCCK gave them capacity to start businesses to ensure that they do not go back to the vice.

“Lack of education is what pushes our people to engage in crime. If they were empowered, we could embrace other means of making money without bloodshed,” Long’ore said.