Secure bandit-prone areas
The latest episode in the endemic lawlessness in the northern regions was the killing of eight people in a bandit attack in Marsabit County.
This is a very familiar tale from a part of the country where law-abiding Kenyans are at the mercy of callous brigands who raid homesteads for livestock. Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki visited the North Rift region recently and warned of stern action against the raiders.
Similar warnings have been made in the past but cattle rustling, which is, in fact, plain armed robbery, continues. It is, indeed, a lucrative illicit business. The meat from the stolen livestock is sold in Nairobi and other towns, enriching the masterminds.
The raiders wield sophisticated automatic weapons that do not come cheap, which confirms that is a well-oiled criminal enterprise. The local leaders and residents are warning of more attacks, and have urged the Ruto administration to walk the talk on enhancing security.
They have also called for the deployment of more security personnel in the most affected areas, where the pastoralists are already grappling with serious challenges, including a harsh climate worsened by persistent droughts.
Urgent measures are needed to restore the people’s hope and confidence in their government. The biggest irony is that when required to vote, these people in the most remote areas are easily reached and they actually cast their ballots.
But after participating in the choice of leaders from the grassroots to the national level, they are left at the mercy of these gangs. The criminals continue to roam freely, unleashing mayhem in their wake.
No part of the country should be left to be ravaged by bandits. The people’s full potential should be nurtured for their own prosperity and for national development. As an urgent measure, more security personnel should be deployed to the bandit-prone regions to protect the people’s lives and their property.
A government that fails to do this presides over a failed state that has no business being in power. The long-term solution is to channel more resources to these remote regions to build infrastructure, including roads and other facilities to enable the enhancement of security.
