A section of Baringo leaders are now joining their residents in calling for an end to cattle rustling menace saying they have done all they can do to address the issue with little success.
Speaking at Sibilo area in Saimo Soi Ward during a food distribution exercise by the Cabinet Secretary for East African Community (EAC), ASALs and Regional Development Peninah Malonza, the leaders joined the displaced residents in raising their frustrations over want on banditry attacks.
The Baringo North Member of Parliament Joseph Makilap and her Baringo County Woman representative counterpart Florence Jematia say that they are frustrated as they cannot do anything despite being members of the ruling regime.
“We have lost hope as we have spoken to the president and he knows our problems, the interior ministry has no solution, we are frustrated because we are in government and cannot help our people,” said Jematia following cries from displaced residents of Saimo Soi Ward in Baringo North.
The MP added that the banditry crises has hampered their work as she cannot disburse cheques from her NGAAF kitty because people are on the run and cannot undertake development initiatives.
Jematia lamented that it was unfortunate that people were belittling the banditry menace with some leaders claiming that some attacks were being stage managed.
“A week ago we were attacked together with honourable Makilap while distributing food in this area and it was sad that some leader from Baringo reported to the president that the attack was stage managed, “complained Jematia.
She called on the CS to include all the residents of Saimo Soi ward in relief food programmes from her department as they were all affected by the insecurity problem.
Holding on the frustration the area MP said there is nothing they haven’t told the president on the cattle rustling issue and they are getting frustrated as they lack words to tell their electorates who had high hopes that the current regime would end the menace.
“While we thank the government for the efforts they have done in increasing security personnel to man the area, it is not enough, we need a command to carry out an operation equal to what was done in Mt Elgon a few years ago,” said Makilap.
She told the CS that the people wouldn’t need the relief food if their livelihoods were not taken away by banditry and called on her to inform the president of their plight.
He urged the residents not to flee in fear and stay firm in protecting their area saying they were not going to cede even an inch of their land to the bandits.
The bandits could not even spare the local security apparatus as the Sibilo Location Chief Mr. Joseph Chemitei was in tears narrating how he has lost his entire livelihood after all his goats were raided by the bandits and his family displaced.
“ It is a shame that I will be borrowing for the basics after working for all these years and proceeding on retirement leave as everything I had was taken away by the bandits,” said the sobbing chief.
Area residents represented by Stephen Barkoton called on the government to give cash disbursement instead of food rations saying they were constantly on the move and the food wouldn’t help as much.
On her part the CS empathised with the residents on their predicament saying the president was concerned with the situation and had sent her to give the food.
“We need to get to the root cause of the problem and solve it once and for all, my ministry will establish a resilience program and set up feed lots so as to get pasture and water for your animals which is a big cause of the conflict,” said the CS.
The CS said that she was distributing 560 bags of beans and an equal number of rice adding that 900 bags of rice and 200 bags of beans were distributed in the previous week.
She implored the residents to take the government rations to protect the young ones who are the future generation noting that they may be disinterested with the aid due to frustrations.
By Christopher Kiprop
