The Senate Committee on Security touring the troubled Laikipia County, on Monday, vowed to bring to a halt the mayhem that had left scores dead and hundreds displaced.
Led by Kisumu Senator Fred Outa, the committee noted with concern the impunity enjoyed by the bandits that are now in the Laikipia Nature Conservancy, demanding to surrender to the government.
The Committee toured Ol Moran, Wangwaci and Matwiku on a fact-finding mission, meant to listen to the people of Laikipia and find out what was troubling the county.
“We are here to find out what is troubling this county, we will push all the promises that the government has made to the people of Laikipia and ensure that they have been effected,” said Senator Outa.
He said that one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy was to leave a united country and called on the head of state to act and leave a peaceful Laikipia.
“We will do whatever it takes to make sure that peace has been restored in this area, even if it requires us to debate it in parliament in order to declare the Laikipia Nature Conservancy a war zone so that, the government can send its machinery to the conservancy and clean it up. We want to know the financiers of these criminals and those behind the cattle rustling and meat business syndicate,” he added.
Last week, Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, raised a question in the Senate on the Laikipia insecurity issue, demanding a probe into the menace that had haunted the residents every five years.
Accompanying the Committee, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula, said that a motion to declare the Laikipia Nature Conservancy a dangerous and crime zone, will be tabled, to compel the government to take over the management of the conservancy and deploy KWS officers to secure it.
“We are going to sermon both the Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i and Laikipia Nature Conservancy owner Kuki Gullman to the senate. We want the conservancy owner to tell us the reason why she is not ready to surrender the conservancy to the government,” he said.
“We want to know the reasons her conservancy has become a den of robbers and thugs who are killing our people,” said Wetangula.
The senator at the same time demanded that the government deploy more security forces in the county and police vehicles that were in good shape.
He urged the government to bring to order National Government Administrators in the counties of Laikipia, Baringo, Samburu and Isiolo counties.
Laikipia Senator said that, the committee should ensure that all the 400 National Police Reservists who were withdrawn two years ago have been re-deployed adding that they should also be well armed and paid.
He said that the committee should also compel the government to take over the management of the vast conservancy.
“The management of the conservancy has proved that it can no longer manage it and therefore the government should take over its management and deploy KWS officers to manage it,” added Mr Kinyua.
By Anne Sabuni
