Nairobi — Leaders from Pastoralist communities are now seeking the audience with President William Ruto over insecurity in the Northern Kenya region claiming Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has failed to arrest the issue.
Appearing before the National Assembly Security and Administration committee, the lawmakers from Samburu and Turkana counties complained saying the current strategies employed by the government to address the situation have been futile.
Turkana South MP Ariko Namoit expressed that the Ministry of Interior and Internal Coordination has employed tactics to deal with the insecurity crisis perennially instead of addressing the chronic issues that have exacerbated the crisis.
"No government has been able to address this issue. The strategies that have been deployed by the government are from an ignorant point of view or they have been comprising the security in the North. What's is currently taking place is smoothening not addressing the situation," said Namoit.
"We need to have a meeting with President,all the MPs from the five counties because the CS has failed completely,"he added.
Turkana South MP explained that previous regimes have failed to address the boundary conflict issue which he termed as the main issue causing tension between the neighboring communities.
The lawmaker insisted that the failure of the government to disclose the landmarks between the pastoralist communities' counties has led to encroachment prompting clashes in the region.
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"When you look at West Pokot and Baringo counties, the landmarks are clearly labeled.When you come to Turkana and West Pokot, nothing like that has been done which is an issue of concern," Namoit stated.
The first-time lawmaker noted that the Interior Cabinet Secretary has been working in isolation in addressing security concerns in the North Rift region without involving local leaders which he said has attributed to the drawbacks in resorting peace in the region.
"The President said when the Cabinet Secretary go round to address the concerns outside there, they should consider the local leaders. Unfortunately, the CS has never called a meeting for the MPs in the region," Namoit stated.
Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda decried that a section of lawmakers have fueled the security tension in the region by normalizing criminal activities and inciting locals to propel banditry.
"Leaders who keep claiming that those are just criminals,what message are you giving your people. What message are you sending to your people when you tell them this is our land and we must take it.How many people are enough for you to kill so that we stop,"said Lesuuda.
The government has trained more than 200 National Police Reservists (NPRs) who will assist security personnel in beefing up security in the banditry-prone region.
President Ruto has previously said the government is in the process of developing and implementing a socioeconomic and political intervention strategy in the region.
He noted that this is to help find durable peace in the banditry-stricken areas as well as sustain enhanced security vigilance to forestall inter-communal conflicts.
