Samburu leaders demand compensation over livestock killings

 

Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit and residents at the Losesia grazing area, where livestock was killed by police officers. [Bruno Mutunga, Standard]

Leaders from Samburu County have hit out at the police over the deliberate shooting of over 700 animals during a security operation last week and further demanded compensation for affected families.

The leaders who spoke during yesterday’s National Assembly plenary sitting decried what they termed the continued harassment and destruction of livestock and property by the State, simultaneously demanding answers from the Ministry of Interior Security.

Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit, who also spoke yesterday, estimated the value of the losses at Sh70 million and said that about 43 families had been affected by the killings.

".... The value of livestock lost is about Sh70 million in total value. We have compensated coffee and tea farmers in billions. All we ask is that those people who are destitute, so that they can feed their children, should be compensated," he said.

He also brought to the fore that the ongoing operation had seen more than 15,000 people from the Waso, Wamba East, Wamba West and Wamba North wards being displaced.

On the floor of the House, MPs highlighted the grave consequences of the shootings and demanded reparations from the government.

Samburu County women rep Pauline Lenguri sought answers from the Ministry of Interior on the indiscriminate shooting of residents and livestock in Samburu on September 19 and 21.  According to Lenguri, 15 goats, 2 cows, 400 goats and 100 calves were reportedly killed during the incident. In a separate incident on Wednesday, September 23, another 198 cattle and 14 donkeys were also killed in the Lekilash area.

“These incidents have resulted in the reported loss of at least 713 livestock comprising 415 goats and 298 cattle as well as 30 donkeys. This is a devastating blow to the pastoralist families whose livelihood depends on livestock. While the government has a responsibility to combat banditry, any security operation undertaken must be lawful and respectful of the rights and properties of the innocent.

“The manner in which this operation was conducted raises concerns.”

She subsequently sought to know the measures being undertaken by the government to protect people during the ongoing operation and to provide relief and compensation to affected families.

Samburu East MP Jackson Lekumontare condemned the incident, noting that the police needed to have acted differently.

“If you visit that site, there are a lot of carcasses lying there. It is wrong, Mr Speaker, for government officers to deliberately kill livestock. If they are pursuing bandits, there is no reason for them to target livestock. The livelihood of the Samburu East people has been lost and we now demand that they are compensated,” said MP Lekumontare.

Samburu North MP Dominic Letipila condemned the government for not leading intelligence-based operations, which he said had contributed to the massive killings.

“Those incidents were deliberate and livestock were recklessly killed in three consecutive days. According to law, everyone has the right to own property and the state cannot arbitrarily take the residents’ property.  Livestock was the lifeline of those people. The government should have conducted intelligence-led security operations and not fired indiscriminately into the homes of people and killed livestock. We demand restitution from the government and a comprehensive statement from the concerned Ministry,” stated Letipila.

At the same time, Governor Lelelit claimed that there existed historical injustices and institutionalised prejudices and structural biases in the application of existing laws by the state in Samburu. He stated that in May 2008, more than 5,000 cows from Archer’s and Losesia areas were herded through Waso Bridge, never to return. He said the innocent Samburu owners were left destitute for the years that followed.

He revealed that between 2017 and 2022, more than 2,400 Samburu cows were indiscriminately killed in Laikipia. Lelelit claimed that in September 2026, more than 700 cows were killed in Samburu East, followed by a mass displacement of people that called for urgent humanitarian intervention and support to address basic survival, health and food.

“This was a grave violation of rights and fundamental freedoms within the framework of our constitution,” he remarked.

The development came a day after residents of Samburu East petitioned the National Assembly to summon Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to explain the loss of livestock during a security operation in Waso ward.

The September 19 operation, which was to tame cases of banditry and cattle rustling, involved the General Service Unit (GSU) and the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU).

The residents want the National Assembly to summon Kanja, GSU and ASTU commandants to account for the authorisation, command structure and rules of engagement governing the operation.

They are also seeking an independent investigation into the conduct of the operation and the circumstances under which civilian livestock was allegedly targeted and residents shot. “The Assembly should also direct full and prompt compensation to all families verified to have lost livestock or suffered injury in the operation.”

Further, they want Parliament to recommend disciplinary or legal action against officers found to have acted unlawfully.

The group has also urged the Assembly to demand a report from the National Police Service on measures to ensure future security operations in pastoralist areas distinguish between organised criminal actors and innocent residents.