Man abandons cattle raiding to farm mangoes in Kerio Valley

A section of Kerio Valley. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

"It took me a week to learn how to use a gun and was then given one," said Kibet.

Before any raid, says Kibet, they would watch the herders' movement with their livestock, especially as they crossed River Kerio.

He says before executing a mission they would divide themselves into three groups. The first group would shoot to scare away the herders.

The second group would be tasked to drive the animals, while the last group would monitor the opposing camp.

Kibet, who has since reformed is now a farmer and a boda boda operator along the Chesongoch-Tot road.

"We used to drink milk directly from the cows because we had no containers," he told The Standard.

Despite joining raids Kibet says he used to attend school once or twice a week and completed Form Four in 2019.

Kibet is not alone in quitting banditry, Sixty-three other young people have also quit the vice.

"Cattle rustling has been the main source of insecurity in our region. Stealing cattle and goats for years, yet it did not raise our living standards," he added.

Gideon Kibet is a farmer and a boda boda operator along the Chesongoch-Tot road. [Christopher Kipsang, Standard]

Kibet is one of the beneficiaries of a project implemented by the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), aimed at empowering youth and women.

KVDA chairman Mark Chesergon, while distributing over 2,000 grafted mango seedlings to reformed cattle rustlers, said the programme is set to shift focus to another source of income to uplift communities.

Chesergon said a mango processing plant in the area will have enough mango fruits when mass production is achieved.

He said his team, after distributing the seedlings, will do follow-up training on how to raise the seedlings into productive trees.

"We are happy to see our youth in Kerio Valley abandon banditry and adapt farming as an alternative source of income. Mangoes thrive in Kerio Valley due to arable soil," said Chesergon.

Salim Mwatuji, Marakwet East deputy sub-county commissioner, said since the government began the operation in Kerio Valley, they have recovered a number of firearms through voluntary surrender.

He said they have so far received 23 AK-47s, a G-3, two carabines, and 150 rounds of ammunitions surrendered by locals from Marakwet East a month ago.