Silencing guns to engage rustlers peacefully

By Isaiah Lucheli

For Priscilla Wanjiru, livestock trading in the North Rift region is the only business she believes can feed her family.

Having been in the trade for three years, she would have no reason to abandon it despite the high risks involved since it is a highly profitable undertaking.

For her, business was good and the over 300 kilometres of heavily pot-holed Kapenguria-Lodwar Road became a normal challenge. However, on April 24, she was shot and seriously wounded during an attack by cattle rustlers. All the animals she had purchased were stolen.

She was lucky since five people were murdered during the attack, in which she sustained a bullet wound on her thigh.

Pokot Central DC Jeremiah Were (left), area AP commandant Patrick Mwaniki (centre) and local MP Wilson Letole with guns and animals recovered with the help of elders.

Life for the mother of four children changed for the worse since the livestock trade is her main source of income. This was not a unique attack since the area is characterised by rampant cattle rustling and banditry.

Turkana and Pokot Districts have proved to be a serious security challenge to the police officers.

Bandits On The Prowl

Bandits armed with sophisticated weapons have been terrorising villagers, forcing people to flee from their homes and schools and causing market centres to be closed. In the past, recovering stolen livestock has been impossible. But the urge to overcome this has forced the police and members of the provincial administration to change tact.

Today, Government officials negotiate with elders to facilitate recovery of the animals and weapons. According to the Pokot Central Administration Police Commandant Mr Patrick Mwaniki, the Government had to use new strategies following the escalation of cattle rustling incidents and proliferation of illegal arms.

Mwaniki explains that elders had been incorporated in the recovery of the animals because they command a lot of respect from the youths who engage in the vice and the community.

"Initially we used to apply force but this ended in vicious battles that led to loss of lives of both police officers and villagers," says Mwaniki. One of the beneficiaries of this new plan is Wanjiru.

"I could not believe it when I was informed that my livestock had been recovered. It has enabled me to start my business again and fend for my family," Wanjiru told CCI at her Makutano home in Pokot. Police negotiated with elders to secure the return of Wanjiru’s 19 animals. A gun used by the bandits was also handed in to the police.

A village elder Madareng Lopua says that cattle rustling has been there since time immemorial and is part of their culture.

Were hands in some recovered livestock to the owner. Photos/Isaiah Lucheli/ Standard

"The people acquire arms to defend themselves and the same guns are used in raids. Young men engage in the practice but we have launched a campaign to sensitise them on its adverse effects," he says.

"We used to be at loggerheads with the police but after they approached us we realised that we could work together for the betterment of our people," says Ngoriase Angole.

Change Of Mind-Set

Angole adds that they used to view the police as enemies who harassed and even beat up young men on suspicion of being cattle rustlers but this perception is slowly changing.

"Another reason why we opted to cooperate is that innocent women and children were being killed indiscriminately and the insecurity had retarded development," says Losilikol Lotukomoi.

Lotukomoi explains that they had also resolved to take their children to school in an effort to make them attain education and change lifestyle. "During our time, we never used to harm women and children during cattle raids but some criminals have taken advantage to attack and even kill innocent people," he adds.

Culturally, young men would take part in theft expeditions to raise enough livestock for the payment of dowry but today even unscrupulous livestock traders are involved in the vice.

Turkana DC Joseph Kanyiri admits that insecurity was a major challenge adding that elders involvement was important in ending the vice. Proliferation of illicit arms among the pastoralist communities has aggravated the insecurity situation and frustrated efforts by the government to initiate development in the area.

Approaching Elders

Mwaniki recalls how he approached the elders and convinced them that the Government meant well and sensitised them on the importance of abandoning the retrogressive culture.

"At first there was resistance and suspicion as the they viewed the police as enemies but after some time things changed and we have so far recovered 10 guns through the elders," he says.

He adds that 21 animals stolen from a livestock trader were handed back and 120 goats stolen from Turkanas were also surrendered to the Government through the help of the elders.

Two guns that were stolen from APs who were killed in Kainuk in Turkana South were also surrendered in Pokot Central after the elders intervened. "They now negotiate with the youths to stop the vice," says Mwaniki.

Though much has been achieved through the initiative, the police still face the challenge of combating cattle rustling.

"In the recent past we were engaged in battle with suspected Turkana herdsmen and it is my plan that we also approach Turkana elders and help in combating cattle rustling," says Mwaniki.

Police officers have previously suffered in the hands of bandits.

The new initiative is seen as the only hope for lasting peace in the region.