• Kitui residents have accused camel herders of grazing their animals on their farms
• Nakoru says the government will not sit down and watch as the two communities clash over pasture
Image: Martin Fundi
The government will flush out camel herders who have invaded Kitui county, Eastern regional coordinator Isaiah Nakoru said on Friday.
Kitui residents have accused camel herders of grazing animals on their farms. Hostilities between the two communities have resulted in loss of life, property and livestock.
The county coordinator said the government will not sit down and watch as the two communities clash over grazing land.
"We will take stern action against those who have brought their camels and driven them in people's farms. We will flush them out," he said.
Nakoru said this is not the first time government security agencies will be flushing out pastoralists trespassing into people's lands.
He said there is always a procedure that every community follows whenever herders from other communities want to graze their livestock in a foreign community.
"Elders from both communities must hold amicable talks and agree on how grazing resources would be used," Nakoru said.
Speaking in his office in Embu town, the regional coordinator said those who do not go through their elders are not genuine pastoralists.
"You will see some pastoralists from neighbouring counties sneaking into a particular county without following cultural procedures. These are criminals who drive their camels into private lands with germinating crops," he said.
Nakoru further said the government would arrest all those who had driven their livestock into Kitui game reserve.
He said that some people masquerading as camel grazers had started pitching camp and setting up homes inside the game reserve.
"These are criminals, we are going to start with them, we will flush them out," he said.
The regional security boss said that the country is governed by the law and all citizens must follow and adhere to the set laws.
Further, he urged Kitui, Isiolo and Marsabit residents to surrender illegal firearms.
He urged those holding illegal guns to register them with the authorities.
"There are two ways – one they should agree to register with the area chiefs that they are holding guns, they can also return them to police stations near them," he said.
Nakoru said if they fail to register or return illegal firearms then the government will be compelled to use force.
"We can't have civilians walking around with guns, they are firearms being used to kill innocent people," he said.
Nakoru denied allegations that political leaders from the two communities were fuelling the conflict. He said Interior CS Fred Matiang'i on Monday met all political leaders from the pastoral community and those in Kitui county in a bid to resolve the grazing dispute.