Leaders from Samburu County now want local communities to live in harmony in the wake of raising cases of insecurity in the region.
The leaders urged the residents to live peacefully and discard outdated cultural practices that encouraged war mongering especially now that cases of banditry and cattle rustling were reported in parts of Samburu North and West respectively.
Led by former Samburu woman Representative Maison Leshoomo, the leaders called on the government through the Ministry of Interior to spearhead peace meetings between feuding communities living in Baragoi in efforts to end a spate of highway robberies and cattle rustling that has claimed several lives with many others hospitalised.
While addressing the press, Leshomo also called on the church to promote unity between the Samburu and Turkana communities to end the cycle of revenge attacks that fuels violence and bloodshed.
“As leaders, we want peace in Samburu County and we urge the church to join the government and local leaders’ efforts of promoting peace by preaching the gospel of resolving disputes peacefully to prevent further violence,” she said.
The leaders condemned the recent cattle rustling incident in Poro village in Samburu West that resulted in the death of one woman and three nursing gunshot wounds.
Additionally, the leaders called on the police to investigate a robbery in Wamba town, where a businessman from Meru was shot dead and his two sons left with gunshot wounds. They also called for quick investigations into a bus attack on February 27, 2025 where armed robbers killed two people and injured ten others.
In a press statement four days ago, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC) Abdi Hassan assured Samburu residents that the government is committed to restoring peace in Samburu through an ongoing operation to mop out illegal firearms.
The RC noted that due to the proliferation of illegal firearms, insecurity in Samburu county has been on the rise since the beginning of 2025 especially highway robberies along Maralal-Baragoi road, cattle rustling in Baragoi and parts of Samburu West, as well as a new trend of robbery with violence cases in Maralal town, Kisima town, Wamba town and Archers post town in Samburu east.
He further noted that the government has already profiled those involved in banditry and cattle rustling saying their days are numbered.
By Brian Munene
