Laikipia County ropes in neighbours in quest to end border conflicts

Laikipia County is now seeking to realise long-lasting peace along its borders with Baringo, Samburu and Isiolo counties.

The county wants its neighbours to set aside resources to drill boreholes as a priority project to enable communities embrace modern livestock farming.

Speaking to the Nation on Wednesday, Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said cases of insecurity in the four counties have been caused by cattle rustling and illegal invasions of private farms.

Mr Muriithi has appealed to the counties to invest in feedlots and other modern methods that will ensure sustainable livestock keeping.

"Insecurity in Laikipia is related to incidents of cattle rustling along our boundaries with Baringo, Isiolo and Samburu. The insecurity is mainly driven by cattle theft. The long-time solution for it is to improve the nature of livestock keeping," he said.

Water shortage

Solving the water shortage problem is expected to reduce movements by pastoralist communities, the single biggest cause of resource conflicts. The regional bloc is banking on feedlots farming to transform livestock keeping into a profitable venture and to cushion pastoralists from the effects of climate change.

The governor further appealed to the regional bloc and the national government to inject more resources into education so as to end the perennial conflicts.

"There is a need to offer educational opportunities for our children. If you look at areas around Tiaty constituency, you will realise that there are gaps in educational opportunities available for our young people," Mr Muriithi said.

"We have to close those gaps if we want the social-economic dynamics to change," he said.

Last year, the Laikipia County Assembly took an unprecedented move to ratify a socio-economic bloc bringing together the four counties, raising hopes of long-lasting security and prosperity in the region.

Regional bloc

Co-operation for Peace and Development — popularly known as the Amaya Triangle Initiative — was formed in the aftermath of invasions of private ranches and attacks that led to the killing of people and wanton destruction of property.

After the 2017 General Election, Governor Muriithi mobilised the region’s governors, senators and MCAs to form the bloc as a response to the insecurity that characterised the region which slowed down its development.

This was to be achieved by having the county governments simultaneously implement targeted projects such as water provision, infrastructure and education to minimise resource-based conflicts.

The initiative seeks to transform the region by unlocking the potential of beef, leather and tourism sectors by carrying out simultaneous projects across the four counties to eliminate conflicts that are often triggered by pastoralists in search of water and pasture.

Report adopted

Laikipia MCAs unanimously adopted a report of the Cohesion and Legal Matters Committee that had been tasked to look into the memorandum of understanding signed by the governors of the four counties.

“This is an exciting milestone in the efforts to transform this cattle-rearing region into an economic powerhouse by ensuring peace among the pastoralist communities after months of consultations and public participation,” the chairman of the committee, Mr George Meshami, said then.

The ratification of the bloc by the assembly brought to an end months of negotiations, canvassing and lobbying among the region’s leaders. It gives the bloc a legal basis to engage and seek resources.

“This is no ordinary feat since most inter-county economic blocs are mere agreements between the governors that lack a legal basis. We are the first inter-county bloc to achieve this feat,” said Ms Virginia Wahome, the director in charge of the initiative in Laikipia.

[email protected]