- The two sides have over the years been locked in an ugly conflict over scarce pastures, a situation that has sometimes resulted in deaths and destruction of property.
- The conflicts are rife in the areas of Hongwe, Lumshi, Pangani, Mkunumbi,Lake Amu,Witu and Hindi.
Crop growers and herders in Lamu want the county government to allocate grazing corridors to end constant feuds between the two groups.
Over the years, they have been embroiled in an ugly fight brought about by scarce pasture, a situation that has sometimes resulted in deaths and destruction of property. The conflicts are normally at their worst during droughts.
On several occasions, security officers have accused both sides of taking the law into their own hands whenever provoked, thus worsening the situation. Herders have been accused of deliberately grazing their livestock on farms and crops, thereby provoking conflict, which has been rife Hongwe, Lumshi, Pangani, Mkunumbi, Lake Amu, Witu and Hindi.
County Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperative Development chief officer Gichohi Mathenge said they were working on developing grazing policies applicable in the county and called for patience from all sides.
"We already have a county spatial plan, which also touches on issues of farmers and herders. As we speak, we’re in the process of developing a special grazing policy and corridors to end all this," he said.
Representatives of the two sides, however, insist that the only way to end the conflicts is to establish specific grazing corridors that deter people from straying into farms and residences.
Lamu Farmers spokesman William Mwangi said establishing permanent corridors will be the most appropriate way to resolve the conflicts.
"If we have a common grazing area, there will be no incidents of someone driving their cattle into someone else’s farm. We believe that will be a thing of the past," he said.
Lamu pastoralists spokesperson Muhumed Kalmey said the county has huge idle land, which could, essentially, be used to solve the conflicts if turned into grazing corridors.
"We've made this appeal years before and we still continue to, that the county government chooses certain acreage from this idle land and allocate grazing space. This, we believe, will go a long way in putting a stop to all these feuds and I believe that’s the only workable solution to the issue,” he said.
Kalmey cited the 2016 revocation by President Uhuru Kenyatta of more than 300,000 acres that had been irregularly acquired in the region, saying such land had never been put to use since and could as well be turned into grazing corridors.
“This is a suggestion that we have fronted to the county government before, but for some reason, they don’t even speak to us. They have never even taken interest in finding out why farmers and herders are always in conflict, but we know they can solve this if they want. Lamu has plenty of idle land. Let it be used to bring peace between us," he said.