By Daniel Chemjor

Insecurity can be a peoples culture- ask a pastoralist, they are used to scenes of marauding gun-toting militia, for them clashes are more frequent than lunch. Any resident from the arid north would bet with their lives for peace – but have they ever seen it?

The recent killings of police in Baragoi Samburu, and the killing of Kenya defence soldiers in Garissa are just an indicator of a conflict volcano that is molten lacking a fissure to spew...but what exactly is happening in the Suguta Valley?

History tells of a socio-economic face of cattle rustling that is not related to death, but the recent scenes are a total shift from the presupposed ideals.

Cattle rustling we are told was purely to enable young men who are ready for marriage raise enough cattle to offset the bride price running to over fifty cattle and upto  hundred in some instances. It is undisputable fact that the bride price has been rising with time while that of the cattle has not been commensurate-that is the source of the clash.

The recurrence of cattle rustling confirms that there is a tinge of history, cattle rustling takes place in the last quarter of the year and goes in line with the period when the pastoralist communities go for their brides.

Interesting enough is that cows could even be stolen from the home of the family of the future bride. Simply put, it was a transfer of ownership.

Suguta Valley

Death was never linked to cattle rustling save for “obstacles” like men defending their communities. But death was never a price to pay. My hypothesis then would be the possible mutation of the socio-economic aspect to pure economics.

Presuming that cattle rustlers has a ready market for stolen cattle, how do they transport them and to which market? Where then is the link? Would we be ones consuming stolen products? Do we know where meat comes from especially processed meat?

The sophistication in firepower is far from the spears, bows and arrows that were common in the days so where did the arrows go to? Who can afford gun power with no economic support?

The jury is still out on this.

With the above questions what then should be done: Let’s borrow a leaf from the international markets where we have rules of origin and the introduction of traceability all with one aim to assure the consumers of the conditions of production and workers conditions.

This was a campaign to curb human rights abuses and to cut down on carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions.

The rules enabled consumers in Europe to know the conditions of cut flower workers in Kenya the amount of chemicals used to produce the flowers and to coffee drinkers in London they are able to know the soils used the altitude the coffee is grown same to the tea in a hotel in Islamabad Pakistani.

Can we then apply the same for meat products; it might not be a panacea to the perennial clashes but an effort towards capping the market for beef products in Kenya. What are the odds that the same force being fought would be feeding on the cattle being stolen?

 This if confirmed would be shocking since we will be having a consumer fighting the producer-cattle rustler.

Devolution

If this is true then the economic power if crippled might end cattle rustling and possibly relegate it to its traditional form... which was intended for the propagation of a people’s culture.

Military intervention must not always be the first action taken by Government.

Kenya’s leadership must move in through non-military ways aimed at inclusion and institutionalisation of northern Kenya especially in view of the impending transition into country governing units that are expected to open up the area to other cultures by way of trade.

The writer is a Television Producer with KTN.

dchemjor@standardmedia.co.ke