• Cattle rustling has resumed along the Pokot-Marakwet border for the past month, displacing over 500 families; some schools forced to close.
•Leaders have blamed the government for the declining security after National Police Reservists were disarmed for vetting.
The government will flush out criminals along the Pokot-Marakwet border in Embobut Forest to restore calm.
West Pokot county commissioner Apollo Okello said the government will not allow a few criminals hiding in the forest to terrorise residents.
"We will carry out a major operation to flush out bandits who steal and kill innocent people from the two counties and hide in the forest.," Okello said on Saturday, Madaraka Day.
“Security is a joint responsibility. Let's help the government identify the criminals since we stay with them in our localities,” he said.
Cattle rustling has reemerged along the Pokot-Marakwet border for the past month, displacing more than 500 families. Some schools have closed.
Leaders have blamed the government for the increasing violence in the region after National Police Reserves were disarmed.
The county commissioner said he government wants to vet all NPRs in the region since they want the officers to be professional.
“The government has no intention of disarming some communities in the North Rift region. The vetting of NPRs is going on in all six counties and the main aim is to vet the officers,” he said.
Okello said he government had taken too long before vetting NPRs and some are elderly and unable to work effectively.
“Some NPRs were issued guns 20 years ago. Now they are old and have given government weapons to their sons and grandchildren. which is against the law,” he said.
Some NPRs have also misued their guns by engaging in illegal activities.
The commissioner assured residents the government has no plans of disarming the community and assured them that as soon as the vetting is over the cleared NPRs will get back their guns.
Some NPRs were issued guns 20 years ago. Now they're old and have given state weapons to their sons and grandchildren, which is illegal.W Pokot commissioner Apollo Okello
However, West Pokot leaders, have condemned the process of disarmament, saying the government should have come up with alternative ways of protecting locals before disarming NPRs.
West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo said NPRs have played a major role in protecting the community and the government should not disarm them.
“The government needs to ensure NPRs get back their guns to help reduce killings," he said.
On January 17, 2018, EU suspended financial aid for conservation programmes as a result of what it called rights abuses of indigenous people, the Sengwar, in Embbut forest while flushing out criminals.