Security agents fight to stem cattle rustling

By MICHAEL MUGWANG’A

Kuria, Kenya: Wednesday night, a security team in Kuria and Transmara led by Kuria East deputy County Commissioner Cornelius Wamalwa, was in pursuit of cattle rustlers.

The cattle rustlers had just attacked a village and made away with livestock.

Speaking to Crime Watch on Thursday, Mr Wamalwa was confident that the animals would be recovered. But the administrator admitted that the livestock thieves are armed and would not release the animals without a fight.

Wamalwa also regretted that cattle theft has led to loss lives.

That is the sad story in Kuria, Transmara, Kisii, Samburu, Kasipul Kabondo, Mt Elgon, Kisumu and other parts of the country.

“There are illegal firearms in the hands of these livestock thieves that we are trying to seize. We have managed to get some but more are still in the wrong hands,” says Wamalwa.

As security agents figure out how to end the menace, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku is blaming the Judiciary for being lenient to the culprits.

“In the fight against crime and insecurity, one of the biggest challenges we have encountered is the existence of laws that seem to favour the rights of suspected criminals more than the rights of victims and innocent Kenyans,” Lenku said on Thursday.

However, the Cabinet Secretary says measures are being put in place to stem criminal activities.

“To mitigate against such challenges in the fight against crime and insecurity, my Ministry has initiated the process of amending such laws, so that we have a better legal environment and framework for fighting crime and insecurity,” he says.

But why has it taken police long to curb the age old cattle rustling despite its high cost in terms of human life and property?

Wamalwa argues that so many factors complicate the fight against the menace especially the communities culture which seems to accept the crime. Affected families also do not volunteer information on the attackers for fear of reprisals.

The administrator added that politicians and businessmen are believed to be behind the illegal trade.

Crime Watch investigation in areas prone to cattle rustling established that the trade in stolen livestock is funded and protected by influential individuals.

Hotspots

“People on the ground know what is happening. At the market place you will hear them say a certain officer will not last. Some times the threats come to pass but we have to do our best when we are here,” says a security agent in one of the cattle rustling hotspots.

A security expert Captain (rtd) Simiyu Werunga argues that you cannot do the same thing the same way and expect different results.

“Governments of the day have tried so many things without much success. It is time we did things differently by adopting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the fight against this and other crimes,” he says.

Werunga, who was recently coopted by the Interior Ministry in a committee to drive the Nyumba Kumi initiative further, says it is time the government considered using the GPRS technology in dealing with cattle rustling.

“The country has no other option than to tread the untaken path. We are working on an initiative to adopt the ICT mechanism. Just like Kenya Wildlife Service is doing with endangered rhinos, our security apparatus need to put in place a bolder system. We will work on a programme where a chip is inserted in cattle and connected to a GPRS system so that their movement can be monitored and easily tracked when stolen,” Werunga told Crime Watch.

On Wednesday, Parliament suspended House business to discuss the runaway security following the killing of Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor’s parents and two other people in the area.

The killings have been attributed to cattle rustling. The MPs were furious with the Interior ministry for what they described as laxity to address insecurity.

Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura insisted that police were also unable to stem kidnappings, killings, robberies and theft. It was the fifth time that MPs were holding a special debate to discuss insecurity.

Elsewhere Emurwa Dikirr legislator Johana Ng’eno has urged the Maasai and the Kipsigis to shun cattle rustling.

Mr Ng’eno said the cultural practise was used to portray bravery in an era centuries past but has now been overtaken by time.