Cattle rustlers must face full force of law

The recent killing of innocent Kenyans by cattle rustlers in Baringo only served to show how deeply the vice is entrenched among pastoralist communities. Cattle theft has continued to be perpetuated despite efforts to end it.

Other than loss of life and property, cattle theft has also affected development where it is practised. Many institutions, including schools, have been closed due to the resultant insecurity. The raiders are normally armed and have more often than not shot and killed innocent people.

And to demonstrate the seriousness of the problem, Deputy President William Ruto was forced to cut short his tour to the affected region on Friday after his convoy was attacked. The volatile border between Baringo and Pokot counties is just 21 kilometres from Baragoi where 21 Administration Police officers were brutally killed by bandits after they went to recover stolen livestock.

However, it can no longer be business as usual. To start with, cattle rustlers must be countered by the force used to fight terrorists, after all, what is the difference between the two groups? Both kill and steal or destroy property. That is why all MPs should support the new Bill that seeks to make cattle rustling a capital offence.

The Government must also collect all illegal guns which are used in these attacks and seal the porous border between Kenya and Somalia through which most of these guns find their way into the country.

Also, regional governments need to work together to stop the proliferation of small arms and light weapons that have threatened our security.