The late former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is famously remembered for asserting, "There is no development without peace, and there is no peace without sustainable development." His words remain a powerful reminder of the interdependence between peace and progress--an idea that aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which advocates for peace, justice, and strong institutions, underpinned by the Human Security Paradigm outlined in the 1994 UNDP Human Development Report. This paradigm shifts focus from state-centric security to individual well-being.
The two concepts--sustainable development and human security--are inextricably linked, and any serious attempt to end the cycle of violence in Kenya's restive regions must consider both.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen recently acknowledged the need for a policy shift in tackling banditry across 23 marginalised counties. His call to move beyond outdated frameworks, particularly the Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 which designated these regions as low-potential areas, is a welcome admission of policy failure. That colonial-era classification continues to haunt development and security planning.
While other African nations align their national priorities with Agenda 2063 and the SDGs to foster inclusive and sustainable development, Kenya must not be left behind.
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In just the first quarter of 2025, official security reports indicate that cattle rustlers killed 21 people--including eight civilians, a police officer, and 12 bandits--compared to 58 deaths during the same period in 2024. The number of livestock theft cases also declined from 263 in early 2024 to 167 in early 2025. Nevertheless, 4,935 animals were stolen--down from 8,557, but still alarmingly high.
Such statistics underscore a persistent crisis. The 2012 massacre of over 46 Kenya Police and Reservists in a botched recovery operation, blamed on leaked intelligence and leadership failure, was a grim lesson. So was the Kapedo ambush, where 21 officers were slaughtered and their vehicle set ablaze. In Suguta Valley, 19 Administration Police officers and three civilians were killed, and over 2,000 bullets stolen. The 2015 incident in Nadome, where former Deputy Inspector General Grace Kaindi's delegation narrowly escaped a deadly ambush, further highlights the scale of the threat.
These incidents reveal that disarmament alone is not enough. The menace has mutated into an organised, militarised and commercially driven conflict. Banditry in northern and northwestern Kenya is deeply rooted in multiple factors: the livestock economy, illegal arms proliferation, political interference, climate-related resource scarcity, poverty, unemployment, and outdated cultural practices like high bride prices.
In many pastoral communities, livestock is not only a source of income but also a symbol of social status. While cattle rustling may have cultural origins, it has evolved into a violent, profit-driven enterprise. The commodification of stolen livestock and the influence of a shadowy war economy--possibly financed and protected by local elites--sustain this criminal ecosystem. The presence of sophisticated weaponry and the lack of timely police response--often blamed on rough terrain and poor logistics--exacerbate the situation.
Repeated disarmament campaigns have largely failed to dismantle this entrenched system. The scale, frequency, and brutality of attacks suggest that the problem goes far beyond tradition or territory.
Addressing this crisis requires a multi-pronged approach: targeted disarmament, culture change, and economic empowerment. But perhaps more importantly, we need a governance model that centres the role of community leaders, elders, religious figures, and local administrators in peacebuilding.
Strengthening community policing, fostering inter-community dialogue, and leveraging the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs)--County Commissioners, Deputy County Commissioners, Sub-County Commissioners, and Chiefs--is essential. These officials are embedded within communities and uniquely positioned to act as bridges between citizens and the security apparatus.
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Through them, the government can establish platforms for sustained engagement, promote intelligence sharing, and build trust with communities. Only through such integrated collaboration can we dismantle the criminal networks and social conditions that fuel banditry.
Superficial interventions and knee-jerk security operations have failed us before. It's time to deal with the real oxygen feeding the fire: the political economy of livestock, systemic neglect, and lack of inclusive development.
The author is a PhD student at the University of Nairobi and a specialist in Diplomacy, Foreign Policy and Communications.
Kinyuru Munuhe
