Let's act before bandits take over Nothern Kenya

A few months ago, I raised my concerns about the simmering ethnic strife in parts of the country, particularly in Northern Kenya. It is in Nothern Kenya that our sovereignty is being stretched to the limits day in day out.

It is here that marauding gangs hold sway in large swathes of arid land. It doesn't help that the climate is harsh and the terrain is rough: it is a forgotten land.

This forms the perfect mix for trouble. And the level and complexity of the conflicts keeps changing by the minute, yet no one wants to admit that the spot is no longer the same. Traditionally, pastoralist communities engaged in cattle rustling as a rite of passage where manhood was demonstrated through either killing a fierce beast of the bush like a lion or going to raid neighbouring communities for their livestock.

Women sang praises to "the hero" who brought home the highest number of livestock. This glorified moranhood made them feel even more virile. No sooner had they settled down than they carried out another raid. This aspect of rites of passage might still be playing a role today, but also the nature and modus operandi has changed to suit the modern world.

Traditionally, the instrument of war was the spear and shields made of hide. In the cultural aspect of cattle rustling, the objective was never to kill, even though death did occur. The destruction of property was also minimum. But alas, the nature and purpose of conflict in arid and semi-arid areas of Northern Kenya has significantly changed. Commercialisation and land have now become the new object of ethnic violence. The introduction of modern weaponry has increased the efficiency with which cattle rustling is being carried out.

Cheserek G.J et al, in Nature and Causes of Cattle Rustling among some Pastoral Communities in Kenya, analyse the role of powerful people in government in perpetuating this practice. That men and women in leadership were deeply involved in fuelling and planning cattle raids.

A friend recently told me about a sitting Member of Parliament who confessed to him that he got rich from the proceeds of sponsoring cattle rustling. With the involvement of the political class and powerful people, it might prove really hard to stop such a practice. Recently, a director of the Northern Rangeland Trust, (NRT) Tom Lalampaa, gave me his "scholarly" view of the dynamic changes and evolution of cattle rustling.

Traditionally, he said "cattle rustling took place around areas where pastoralists met for grazing and water, but this has now changed". The conflict is now taking place near towns and villages inhabited by people, leading to displacement and creating internally displaced populations. As we speak, thousands of people have fled their homes in Isiolo and Samburu counties.

This present conflict, among many others, is testimony to the new phenomenon that the drivers of conflict now include land and money. In the case of Isiolo, it is believed that major national government projects such as LAPSSET and other Vision 2030 projects have increased the interest of powerful cliques to fund the conflicts. The communities living along the main LAPSSET corridor have seen an increase and intensity of violence.

The security agencies that traditionally were the custodian of the law now feel impotent. They are handicapped by lack of motivation and support. The deaths of dozens of security officers in Baragoi and Kapedo in the Rift Valley have reinforced the feeling of the officers that no one cares about their welfare and lives. This feeling of apathy has consequently led to an increase in lawlessness. Even security agents admit the Government is absent in Northern Kenya.

Ironically, in Isiolo where more than 50 people have died in less than two months and thousands of people have been displaced due to cattle rustling, the number of security agencies seems too high per capita compared to other parts of Kenya.

There is a significant number of police units, including the the anti-stock theft units, rapid response deployment unit, GSU and not less than five military camps around Isiolo town. Yet more people are being killed almost on a daily basis. The general feeling now is that the security officers have been stationed there to protect the LAPSSET corridor rather than to protect lives and property.

I encountered hundreds of youth brandishing their illegal weapons strolling the bushes perhaps searching for their next targets. The presence of security officers doesn't seem to deter them. Security officers feel helpless. The security agents seem not to know what to do. In all their briefings, they portray a crushing lack of tact. Security agents are expected to prevent conflict and analyse risk factors but often, all they do is reactionary and a little too late, too little.

By the time they appear at the scene of crime two days later, the gangs have caused havoc and destruction, often with many fatalities. But the biggest impediment to ridding the forgotten North of strife is the mind-numbing denial of the criminality going on there. As a start, we could accept that what is going on in the North is criminal and therefore unacceptable.