Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Defense Dr. Monica Juma has promised to establish a military training school at Ukasi area in Mwingi East Sub-county along the porous border between Kitui and Tana River counties to curb insecurity.
Speaking at Ukasi Thursday after surveying the affected areas, CS Juma said that it is the responsibility of the national government under the leadership of President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure that Kenyans coexist in harmony and that no innocent lives are lost.
She said that officers from the Ministry of Defense would be visiting the area in two weeks’ time in order to establish the best location to set up the school which requires a big piece of land.
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu on her side offered the ministry of defense 10,000 acres piece of land along the border, saying that establishing an army barracks along the border is the only way to end the deadly clashes which have been witnessed along the border for over 30 years now.
Governor Ngilu said that the armed camel herders who have pitched camp along the border between Kitui and Tana River ought to be pushed back in order to restore peace and ensure that no more Kitui residents continue dying from the conflict.
Ngomeni MCA Eliud Muteti said that the main challenge facing residents of his area was camels which are grazed recklessly into people’s farms and killings residents.
Mary Mwendwa, a resident of Kasiluni said that many women have been left widows after their husbands were killed and even young girls are raped by the bandits.
By Yobesh Onwong’a
