Leaders ask CS Matiang’i to lift curfew imposed in Mt Elgon

Leaders from Mt Elgon continue to pile pressure on the government to lift a three-month curfew imposed in the region over insecurity.

A day after Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi asked Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to lift the dawn to dusk curfew he declared in March 6, since the most wanted criminals have been nabbed, Ward representatives from the area have come out and echoed similar sentiments.

On Thursday, eight Members of County Assembly (MCAs) from the region told The Standard that the security operation that was meant to restore peace in the troubled region should be called off after the recent arrest of the gang leaders that were terrorising the public

The MCAs led by Bungoma County Assembly Minority Leader Francis Chemion (Kaptama) and former Deputy Speaker Jane Chebet (Cheptais) said businesses in the agriculture rich zone are suffering because of the operations.

On May 15, police apprehended Timothy Kitai alias Cheparkach, who is suspected to be leader of the gang that was behind the killing of atleast 40 people, was put behind bars after he surrendered himself to police in Eldoret. The government had put a sh1 million bounty against his head.

A day after he was put in custody, Cheparkach’s younger brother Ngeywo Kitai alias ‘Jet-Lee’ who was also in the run was arrested in Kericho. The duo are yet to be arraigned in court as police are still conducting investigations.

“The people we represent need to be allowed to go back to their normal lives. The curfew has hindered businesses since it curtails movement,” said Mr Chemion, at the sidelines of the Legislative Summit in Mombasa.

Ms Chebet said women and children have borne the brunt of the curfew that was imposed in the entire Cheptais Sub-county, which includes her ward and three others.

Chemion and Chebet were accompanied by MCAs Hillary Kiptalam (Elgon), Frankline Simotwo (Chepyuk), Ben Kipkut (Chesikak) Joan Kirong ( Kapkateny), Eunice Kirui(nominated) and Cheprot Chesibok(nominated).

On Wednesday, Mr Kapondi made an appeal to Mr Matiang’i to call of the curfew, insisting that it has achieved its objective.

“It is unwarranted for the curfew to continue since it will not achieve any other purpose. Now that we have the leaders of the criminal gangs safely behind bars, the curfew should be immediately lifted,” he said.

Apart from the 40 people who lost their lives in the hands of criminal gangs in the area, cases of people getting maimed, women and school girls being raped and livestock being stolen and killed were also reported.

The instability that has rocked the area has been attributed to the unfair distribution of land in the volatile Chepyuk region, which was the epicenter of the Sabaot Land Defence Forces (SLDF) instigated violence in 2006-2008.