North Rift leaders want special fund for banditry victims

MPs from North Rift are advocating for a special fund aimed to compensate victims of banditry.

The legislators said the lives of some residents have been completely shattered through lose of loved ones and property.

“It is only fair that they are compensated to start their lives afresh,” Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap said.

The MPs demanded investigation of some security officers in the region they accused of abetting banditry. 

The legislators led by outspoken Tiaty MP William Kamket on Thursday alleged that funds meant for operations against criminals were being misappropriated.

The leaders decried the government’s lack of commitment to tackling banditry, citing instances of security officers allegedly colluding with criminals and misusing allocated resources.

“There is a need for legislative measures to safeguard the National Police Reservists unit and redefine their roles, as well as clearer delineation of constituency and county borders to mitigate conflicts arising from uncontrolled grazing,” Kamket said.

The MPs, who proposed a raft of measures to combat banditry, reiterated the importance of education.

They also proposed forceful relocation of residents from troubled areas to facilitate access to education.

Turkana Woman Rep Cecilia Ngitit and Samburu MP Naisula Lesuuda reiterated the crucial role education plays in combating banditry and its adverse effects on academic progress, and decried vandalism and burning of schools by armed criminals.

The leaders expressed concern over lack of implementation following President William Ruto’s commitment to compensation when he toured the region recently.  

“The government should establish a fund where money for compensating people who lose lives and property and incur injuries following attacks by bandits would be drawn from,” Kamket said. 

The MPs said business owners had borne the full brunt of the perennial animosities as they have lost their property, including stock, due to looting allegedly by security personnel during operations. 

They questioned the government’s selective compensation policy, particularly favouring victims of natural disasters while overlooking those affected by banditry.

The leaders have presented their proposals to the National Assembly Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee under the leadership of Hassan Yussuf.

 Yussuf said his committee is committed to seeking partnerships with donors and state agencies to fund comprehensive strategies to tackle the root causes of perennial banditry in the North Rift region. 

He lauded the MPs for their valuable contributions towards fostering peaceful coexistence and cohesion amid ongoing conflicts.

Many parts of the North Rift region, especially Kerio Valley, have not known peace for the last two years, which has resulted in the death of hundreds of people. 

More than 100 people, including security personnel, were killed last year, prompting the government to classify as disturbed and dangerous six banditry-prone counties of Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu.

The state then rolled out a massive security operation to restore security and peace in the area coordinated by police assisted by the military.