Two Elgeyo Marakwet MPs threaten to ditch Jubilee over insecurity

Women and children take refuge in the Kerio Valley escarpment for fear of attack by cattle rustlers. (Photo: Fred Kibor/Standard)

Two legislators from Elgeyo Marakwet County have threatened to ditch Jubilee if President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto do not urgently intervene to stop attacks on the Marakwet community in Kerio Valley.

Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen and his Marakwet West counterpart William Kisang said 'it will not be business as usual for them' if the government continued to ignore the plight of the Marakwets.

"On Friday and Saturday we will bury three people who were killed this week, the bodies are currently at the Tot Mission Hospital morgue. As leaders we are wondering why we should keep on singing that we are in government, when our people are suffering, we cannot continue to stomach this," said Bowen.

He said in the last two months alone, fifteen people have been killed by Pokot raiders and thousands of people displaced in the region because of increased cattle rustling.

"People are now sleeping in caves, and the number of widows and orphans are increasing. As leaders we can no longer bear this," said Bowen.

He said Uhuru and Ruto should leave their campaigns and obsession with the 2017 General Election and visit the region urgently so that they can appreciate the situation and halt the ongoing killings.

“Which votes will they be looking for in 2017 when the people are losing lives and those who survive are living in the caves? We saw relative peace for 14 years because retired President Mwai Kibaki visited the region and ordered for a crackdown and the rustling stopped,” said Bowen.

Kisang said several schools in the region had been affected.

"Quite a number of schools have been affected by the attacks. In the worst affected areas, children are at home. If the senseless rustling does not stop, our students will be hit more. Teaches who are not locals have already left," said Kisang.

The MPs called for the recruitment of National Police Reservists in the region, increase of police patrol cars and the clearing of roads to allow for security officers to move freely.

“Money was allocated for the employment of NPRs but we do not understand why they have not started recruitment, even the promise of Sh50million to have National Youth Service (NYS) clear the security roads is yet to be honoured,” said Bowen.

He said Liter and Arrow police stations needed vehicles to help them combat the increasing insecurity in the region that was slowly turning into a 'valley of death'.

Marakwet East MP said they had held boardroom meetings with Inspector of Police Joseph Boinnet and a similar meeting with Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaisery over the issue but nothing had happened on the ground.

“We are now tired of the boardroom meetings and are calling for actions,” said Bowen.

They called for the arrest of West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo who they accused of inciting the Pokots to attack the Marakwets.

“On Saturday he told his people that the Marakwets are living in their land and this was meant to incite the people to push our people in the region, several days later he is still walking free and nobody has questioned him despite our complains to National Cohesion and Integration Commission Chairman Francis ole Kaparo,” said Bowen.

Kisang said 1000 acres of Red Cross irrigation farm launched by the Deputy President 2 years ago had turned into the battle field thus rendering the region food scarce.

“Our people do not have food because of the attacks, their farms have turned into battlefields, we are asking they be considered for relief food as the matter is being sort,” said the MP.