Governor attributes insecurity to shortage of security personnel

Baringo, Kenya: Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi has blamed inadequate number of security personnel and competition for water and pasture among the pastoral communities for escalating insecurity.

The county has lately witnessed increased cases of insecurity, especially in Marigat where over 10 houses were torched by suspected herders from neighbouring communities displacing 326 residents in a suspected retaliatory attack.

Governor Cheboi, who spoke when he met former councillors from Pokot and Ilchamus communities  over insecurity, decried insufficient security personnel in the county despite it being a “rustling hotspot”.

Cheboi, said as the county policing initiative, they had decided to reach out to former councillors whom he said, had “touch on the ground”, in a bid to find solutions to the now frequent insecurity.

School dropout

“The major cause of insecurity in Baringo is the battle for resources for livestock such as water and pasture which we are set to address through drilling of 70 boreholes in Baringo North, Marigat and East Pokot by Japan International Cooperation Agency,” said Cheboi.

Cheboi said apart from the boreholes, his government was working on projects such as water pans and dams for irrigation across the county to end hunger that had forced migration of pastoralists thus creating conflicts.

He regretted the recent insecurity incident and called on the national Police Service to deploy more personnel to rustling-prone areas in the county to guarantee the security of civilians who have lost loved ones and property to bandits.

“Despite the escalating insecurity, the number of security personnel has remained minimal and are outnumbered by the rustlers who are always heavily armed,” he said.

The Governor also raised concern over the high rate of illiteracy among pastoral communities. He said many young people were dropping out of school and joining gangs that are responsible for  the archaic rustling activities.