Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan has cautioned politicians against issuing inflammatory statements that stoke ethnic hatred in the North Rift region as normalcy returns to the area.
The RC said the government won’t hesitate to take stern action against such leaders, saying already that there are some who have recorded statements with the police and will soon be arraigned in court.
“I want to put leaders on notice and inform them that we will not hesitate to take firm and swift action against anyone who issues inflammatory statements for political expediency,” Hassan warned.
Speaking in Iten after holding a security meeting with the Marakwet East and Marakwet West subcounties and the county security committees led by County Commissioner John Korir, Hassan appealed to local residents to embrace peace, law, and order so that they can join the rest of the country in development activities.
He expressed his disappointment with the high level of illiteracy in the area, which he said stood at 80 per cent as a result of the endemic cattle rustling and banditry activities.
“When the rest of the country is progressing, we are engaging in retrogressive activities which will not in any way benefit the future generation,” he said.
The administrator said the region cannot afford to lag behind but should instead strive to compete in development programmes to be at par with others.
He hailed security personnel for their efforts to restore peace in the North Rift region, saying there has been relative peace with isolated cases citing the volatile West Pokot-Turkana borders, but said security personnel were deployed to the area and managed to control the situation.
Hassan assured police reservists that the government was aware of their challenges, especially the issue of allowances, and that it was working towards resolving them.
He thanked leaders and Wananchi for continuing to work with the government to restore peace in the area, saying the government was committed to silencing the guns.
By Alice Wanjiru
