Has nature conspired against Turkana?

By Cavince Adhere

Turkana Women patiently wait to give water to their animals [Photo:Cavince Adhere]

Before 1960, Turkana region enjoyed unparalleled success. Large herds of livestock and camels roamed freely in the expansive land.

Lake Turkana was replete with fishing activities and shores of River Turkwel produced much cotton, fruits and honey, with surplus exported to other parts of Kenya.

Mining was active in the region with gold and gypsum being commonplace. White sand was mined in large quantities necessitating export to other regions. With the pastoralist nature of the Turkanas, they needed little government assistance.
The kingdom was self sustaining. Come early 1960s, first schools were established and trading centres including Lokichar, Kapedo, and Lokori emerged. Even without the white man’s medical facilities, traditional healers met all the medical needs of the locals.

Due to their unique lifestyle and predisposition Turkanas needed a pass to interact with other regions like Kapenguria and Kitale up to 1970.

Today, the county is the most affected by food insecurity, earning the distinction of the  third poorest. Levels of illiteracy are phenomenal, climate hostile while security of persons and property is near non-existent.

Turkanas attribute their woes to their geographical positioning and wealth endowments. It started with ‘nosy’ neighbours unable to keep their hands off the wealth of Turkanas.

And the neighbours are many indeed. In Kenya, Turkanas border the Pokots. From Uganda their neighbours include the Karamojong, the Jie, and the Mathilike. To the Ethiopian side, Turkanas border the Dongiro and the Merille. From South Sudan, they neighbour the Toposa.

While the Turkanas have recorded great human and capital lose to the neighbours, the level of harm from the fellow countrymen-Pokots, is unprecedented. What is the genesis of all these hostilities?

According to Thomas Nyapid, Coordinator, Nomadic Apostolate Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, the Turkanas and Pokots started a game that would soon haunt them.

‘‘The two communities began cattle raids, an activity they did for the fun of it’’, explains Thomas. The raids were conducted by both communities up to early 70s, before the whole activity got a new dimension as Thomas explains.

‘‘Commercialization was added into the game. Certain leaders sought economic gain and popularity from the raids. Armed young men would be sent from both sides to conduct the raids which only benefited the opportunistic leaders’’.

The constant raids necessitated acquisition of arms by both communities for protection and defence of self and property.
Derrick Merinyang, Lokichar resident says that the proliferation of arms only made the raids more lethal. Both groups began losing human life and livestock wealth.

‘‘By culture, Turkanas are pastoralists while Pokots are farmers. When Pokots raid the Turkanas, they sell their raid. Turkanas on the other hand raid only to keep because they believe in rearing animals’’, explains Derrick.

In 1979, the government carried out a disarmament operation in Turkana region. In the exercise, there was perceived lopsided pressure in favour of the Pokots.

‘‘Pokots were never disarmed in the exercise while Turkanas surrendered their guns to the government, having been completely dehumanized and suppressed’’, explains Francis, history clearly written on his face.

Left with nothing to protect self and property, the Pokots struck after the disarmament exercise and Turkanas lost much human life and livestock, narrates Francis. This incident inspired much hatred among the two communities, which led to heavy arms race.

Mr. Joseph Kanyiri, the Turkana South District Commissioner admits the proliferation of arms in the region. ‘‘Small and light arms are held by the locals including G3, and AK47’’, says Mr. Kanyiri.

These arms have fuelled cattle rustling, which the DC opines remains the biggest security challenge in the region.
According to, Turkana County Senator aspirant Jackson Nakusa, the insecurity and raids among the communities pushed Turkanas from the shores of River Turkwel, bringing an end to their agricultural exploits.

Schools in vulnerable areas were closed down and commercial centres abandoned for fear of targeted attacks.
Coupled with hostile environmental conditions, education standards in the region dropped as Jackson Nakusa, explains, ‘‘Teachers fear being posted to local schools, leading to low teacher to pupil ratio. This has affected the performance of local schools.’’

Due to this insecurity, the locals only concentrate on their safety, leaving them with little  time to engage in commercial activities. Thomas Nyapid reckons this has consequently impoverished the locals, further affecting education in the region.

‘‘How do you ask a child with an empty stomach to brave the hostile environment and concentrate in class?’’, poses Nyapid.
While the discovery of oil in the county raises prospects for local and external investment, the
residents are sceptical about this eventuality. Unknown to them, many people from other regions are already hankering for land in Lokichar trading centre.

Despite concerted effort of various security agencies including Administration police, General Service Unit, Kenya Police Reservist and Anti Stock Theft Unit, insecurity in Turkana still persists.
According to the area DC, Mr Kanyiri, efforts to restore security in the region face two main challenges; human and infrastructural.

‘‘The road network in the region is very poor, making it difficult to respond to crime or to intercept cattle rustlers. Equally, the number of security personnel in the region is not adequate’’, explains the DC.

     Another challenge identified by the DC is attitudinal indifference of the locals towards crimes like cattle rustling. This is partly reinforced by leaders on both sides of the divide. Both communities still believe rustling is the way to go.

Following the discovery of oil, the local residents felt a shift in government priority with many officers posted to man the site of exploration. ‘‘The government seems to have forgotten about us, fully turning their attention to oil site and to the surveyors in the field’’, says Thomas Nyapid.

The area OCPD John Bosco, however maintains that police presence pervades the entire region adding that, ‘‘plans are underway to post more officers to the area including additional Kenya Police Reservists. A police station is coming up at Kainuk’’
Turkana residents hope that due to the oil discovery in the region, the government will finally resolve the issue of insecurity to allow the residents to resume their traditional economic activities. To many in Turkana, effective security in the region is all they need to live like other Kenyans.

‘‘We are tired of relief foods. We are tired of incessant killings and raids. We need our dignity back and the government has no excuse not to eliminate insecurity in the region since it is its responsibility’’, concludes Mrs. Pauline Lodung, 75 years old resident of Kainuk village, Turkana South Constituency.