Turkana leaders yesterday skipped a joint peace meeting at Sarimach, West Pokot county.
There was no representative present to witness the handing over of five cows stolen from the village in the past two weeks by suspected Turkana raiders.
Last Tuesday West Pokot leaders headed by Governor John Lonyangapuo and county commissioner Apollo Okello attended a peace meeting at Kainuk, where they handed over 52 sheep and goats stolen from the village.
During the meeting leaders from the two counties resolved to end the new wave of cattle theft and killings that has claimed six lives in the past two months.
Lonyangapuo urged residents from the two communities to return stolen animals.
“The animals that have been returned are not the ones that were stolen. If we want to embrace peace, peace committees should trace the stolen animals and return them to the owner,” he said.
In yesterday's meeting, Lonyangapuo criticised Turkana elders for failing to show up.
“We were expecting our counterparts from Turkana to be here and witness the handling over like we did last week but we are happy they have returned the animals,” he said.
Okello said this was the first time their neighbours had returned stolen animals.
