Turkana, Samburu communities denounce cattle rustling, vow to help State in banditry fight

Turkana and Samburu communities from Ngaremara and Waso wards within the Isiolo-Samburu border that has been synonymous with banditry and cattle rustling have denounced the vices and resolved to work together in ensuring stolen livestock is surrendered to authorities for handover to the owners.

The two communities on Saturday participated in a peace caravan from Isiolo's Ngaremara town to Serolipi in Samburu East, making stopovers at Archers Post bridge, markets and towns within the over 20-kilometre stretch while preaching peace.

The caravan that was organized by the Strategies for Northern Development (SND) targeted elders, women and Morans from the two communities who carried out the raids for a heroic show and to replenish their stock in an effort to ensure a collaborative approach in ending the vice.

Competition over water and pastures, proliferation of illegal firearms, land disputes and political intrigues are among the triggers of violence between pastoralists in Isiolo and those in neighbouring Samburu, Laikipia, Wajir, Garissa, Meru and Marsabit counties.

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki recently announced that the ongoing Operation Maliza Uhalifu in six North Rift counties would be extended to the area and parts of Isiolo, Meru and Marsabit counties, admitting that a corridor snaking through the three counties had become notorious.

Collusion between criminals from the two counties in staging the attacks, stealing and moving the animals to unknown destinations has been an eyesore in security agencies' efforts to tame the vice with police sources saying many of the stolen animals were being hidden in Serolipi.

Peace initiatives

A recent peace pact between Isiolo, Samburu and Laikipia MCAs initiated by Waso ward representative Kelvin Lemantaan has also aided in fostering peace between the two communities.

Samburu Woman Rep Pauline Lenguris and MCAs Lemantaan, Paul Leshuel (Mukogodo East), Peter Losu (Ngaremara) and Nominated Francisco Letimalo are among the leaders who participated in the exercise.

Fabily Leparkiras, a Samburu Moran, said the involvement of youth in peace initiatives would bear fruits if they were economically empowered to abandon the retrogressive culture of cattle rustling.

"We have lost so many youths and countless numbers of livestock to banditry, and it is time we all join hands and support the government in securing our nation and bringing culprits to book," he said.

Morans from Turkana and Samburu communities at Uaso area during the March 22, 2024, peace caravan. (Photo: Waweru Wairimu)

Asha Lekudere decried the little involvement of women in peace efforts, despite being among those who bear the biggest burden of insecurity.

She said they too could help in taming the vice by advising their sons not to engage in rustling but to seek alternative, decent sources of livelihood.

"We commit to continually telling them (Morans) that rustling is not important and to advise them against associating with bad company," she said.

Elder Lesamito Merino, who is a peace crusader at Archers Post area, said the unity pact would accelerate development in the region and help the two communities collaborate on matters of interest such as business and even intermarry.

"The peace caravan has offered the two communities a platform to dialogue and find lasting peace, which has been lacking for a long time," he said. "The two communities will now work together to expose the criminals and ensure the stolen livestock is surrendered to the authorities".

The role of elders in ending the vice by spearheading the recovery efforts and warning the Morans against the raids was also discussed during a climax meeting at Serolipi. The elders bless the Morans before they set out for the raids.

The local communities have been assisted in forming peace committees that will sustain the ongoing efforts from division to sub-county level under the programme funded by the Scottish Government through Oxfam and being implemented by SND.

Morans from Turkana and Samburu communities at Uaso area during the March 22, 2024, peace caravan. (Photo: Waweru Wairimu)

SND Business Development Manager Charles Lomali said the initiative was meant to ensure peaceful coexistence between the two communities and help them come up with systems that would help them amicably resolve any emerging disputes and solutions to challenges they collectively face.

"We are keen on promoting inter-community dialogues in resolving disputes and helping them come up with a plan that will ensure sobriety in the sharing of resources through the involvement of elders and local grazing committees," he said.

Women involvement

The insecurity menace in the region has been worsened by climate change, which forces pastoralists to cross over to neighbouring counties in search of water and pastures for their animals.

"The peace committees have been taught about early warning systems and will be issuing alerts to the communities so that they take the requisite precautionary measures," Lomali noted.

He said the programme would later be extended to other communities such as Borana, Somali, Rendille and Ameru who have been wrangling with the two communities, resulting in deaths, loss of livestock, and destruction of properties.

"We are happy that leaders from the two counties who never saw eye to eye have joined hands and we believe their presence will encourage the residents to remain united," Asal Humanitarian Network Coordinator Ahmed Ibrahim Abdi said.

Joseph Odongo, an Oxfam official, hailed the involvement of women in the peace efforts, saying their potential could not be overlooked. "The Morans tell their mothers when and where they intend to raid, and bringing the women on board would help in discouraging the young men from the crime".

Samburu Woman Rep Pauline Lenguris said the engagement was a testament to the communities' commitment to work closely with the government in the recovery of stolen livestock and arrest of criminals.

"Local elders have been on the frontline in helping the government trace the stolen animals," she said, adding that security agencies must, therefore, not use excessive force during the ongoing operation in Serolipi.

She said it was sad that a mentally disturbed woman lost her life in a shootout between bandits and police officers who were escorting 15 cows recovered in Serolipi to a waiting lorry. A Moran was also killed during the gunfight.

The MP further appealed to the government and Non-Governmental Organisations to come up with programs to empower the Morans so that they shun cattle rustling.

"There is a need to repeatedly educate them (Morans) on the effects of the vice and also support them in starting businesses so that they quit the crime," she appealed.