Leaders from Samburu County have asked the government to stop the ongoing disarmament operation in the county.
Speaking during the burial of four herders killed by bandits in Kawap village in Samburu north one week ago, the leaders said that there are many guns in the hands of criminals and disarming resident will make them soft targets for criminals.
The Samburu North MP, Alois Lentoimaga blamed government for failing to beef up security in the area after national police reservists were forced to surrender their guns to government.
The Ndoto Ward MCA, Rais Letura noted that guns stolen from police officers in 2011 in the infamous Suguta Valley have never been recovered from the criminals.
Letura added that the firearms mop up exercise is ill informed since there are illegal firearms being sneaked into Samburu County from South Sudan.
“As we speak the situation is getting worse and people are being killed, instead of directing disarmament to the aggressors you are targeting those at risk of being attacked,” he claimed.
The Samburu Women Representative, Maison Leshoomo blamed the county security committee for sidelining local leaders in peace building initiatives among communities in the county.
“As leaders they have never approached us to assist them in building peace and uniting our people, they have never asked us to brief them about security situation in Samburu North,” she said.
She accused some heads of security department of widening rift among the pastoralist communities in the region by profiling them as per their locations.
The disarmament exercise was ordered on September 18 by the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC), George Natembeya during a tour of Samburu county.
By Robert Githu
