Repossess illegal arms, say leaders

By ROBERT KIPLAGAT

Baringo,Kenya:They blame rising cattle rustling on Government’s failure to disarm bandits as promised by Kimaiyo

Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi wants the Government to deal firmly with incidents of cattle rustling in the region.

He said there was laxity among security personnel to end the livestock theft menace. Cheboi blamed the Government’s failure to carry out a disarmament exercise, on the rising cattle theft.

“Insecurity in Baringo is similar to that in Bungoma, Garissa, Mandera and other acts of the country and I wonder why the Government does not respond,” said Cheboi.

Speaking yesterday when he visited residents who were displaced by cattle rustling in Baringo North district over the weekend, Cheboi asked the Government to re-posses illegal arms in the hands of bandits to curb insecurity.

He said due to the insecurity incidents staged by suspected Pokot cattle rustlers, several people have lost their lives, livestock, some displaced and learning in schools disrupted.

“Due to the theft of animals, there has been a high school dropout rate as the parents can no longer be able to pay school fees as they depended on livestock to educate their children,” he said.

Given ultimatum

The governor also called for the compensation of families that lost their loved ones and livestock to the cattle rustlers.

Members of the County Assembly from the area who had accompanied the governor echoed his call for disarmament of the bandits.

Leaders from East Pokot districts, normally associated with cattle rustling have differed with Tugen counterparts on the operation recently ordered by Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo when he toured the area. Members of Baringo County Assembly from the two warring communities have sharply differed over the disarmament exercise that was set to take place anytime after the two-week ultimatum Kimaiyo had given those with illegal arms.

Those from Pokot side argued that the forceful disarmament might not yield much peace fruits saying that the Government should instead address causes of cattle rustling.