• The leaders are from the worst-affected counties of Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo. They have camped along borders and are talking to communities.
• Four people were killed early this week near Tot area, increasing the year's death toll from bandit attacks to more than 60.
Image: MATHEWS NDANYI
North Rift political leaders have launched a fresh peace initiative in Kerio Valley where tension remains high following increased attacks by bandits or criminal gangs.
The leaders are from the worst-affected counties of Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo.
Four people were killed early this week near Tot, increasing the year's death toll to more than 60 people so far.
Leaders held more than eight peace meetings this week along the border between West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet.
They include Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor Wesley Rotich and Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen.
“We want peace for our people. We have lost so many people, including women and children who are so innocent and do not engage in banditry," Rotich said.
He said they had decided to camp in the region and urge communities to abandon banditry and earn a living by other, legal means.
Murkomen and Kangogo said they were concerned the government was not acting as tough to end banditry in Kerio Valley as in Laikipia.
“In Laikipia, the government has even deployed police reservists to help communities fight banditry but our plea for the same in Kerio Valley has been ignored," Kangogo said.
He spoke when the leaders met near Tot for a peace meeting on Wednesday. They included MCAs, clergy and community representatives of the three counties.
The leaders in partnership with churches will hold a series of peace and prayer meetings n the region.
Counties have asked the government to recruit, train and deploy about 3,000 National Police Reservists so they help fight banditry.
Kangogo said they have asked Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to revive the NPRs' programme that was abolished in the region more than four years ago.
The government at that time was unable to pay allowances for NPRs. A considerable number was accused of teaming up with criminals.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos has said the affected counties are ready to help the government pay allowances for the NPRs if they are hired by the state.
“We are in discussion with my colleagues about this because we realise banditry is again on the increase in the region yet our security teams seem unable to deal with the situation," Tolgos said.
He said it was pointless for counties to invest in development projects that cannot benefit residents who are being killed and wounded by bandits almost every day.
“We would rather secure the lives of our people first, then we can resume development programmes," he said.
Before the NPRs programme was terminated, more than 3,000 reservists had been deployed in the area. They were paid about Sh5,000 each monthly after training. They also were given uniforms and were reporting to officers commanding police stations in the area.
Tolgos and his counterparts John Lonyangapuo of West Pokot and Stanley Kiptis of Baringo are proposing the same programme be revived.
(Edited by V. Graham)