Governor Lelelit summoned by DCI over increased banditry in Samburu

Samburu Governor Jonathan Lelelit appeared before the Rift Valley regional headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nakuru.

His appearance followed summons related to increasing cases of banditry in the county.

According to Lelelit who has been summoned for the second time in less than a month said the security officials are wasting time on him, instead of finding the real criminals.

"People are being killed every day by bandits. It's unfortunate that instead of us staying there to help people, we are called here. We would be there helping the security people to find criminals," he said in a video seen by Star.

"Two days ago, a former police officer and an MCA were killed. Almost daily we have somebody killed and we are here wasting our time instead of being with our people."

The governor further noted that the detectives have had his phone, which they are probing, for over a month.

He stated that a week should be enough to look into his phone, insisting that this is now turning into a 'circus'.

"They have taken the phone for the last month, I don't know what they are doing. One week is enough to check if my phone is there and return it to me. This is a circus."

On February 9, Lelelit was among seven people who were questioned by Rift Valley DCI officers over insecurity in the county.

The others were senior county government staff.

Samburu is one of the counties that is reportedly affected by cases of banditry and other forms of violent crimes in the country.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has been leading operations in the area in efforts to end the menace.

The Interior boss on Tuesday last week said cattle rustling in Northern Kenya has over the years become an organised criminal enterprise.

“Its impacts are severe. It deprives pastoral communities of their economic mainstay and aggravates the conditions of poverty in the rangelands, fuelling communal grievances and revenge attacks,” he said.

The government has promised more resources in the war against banditry.

To dismantle the infrastructure of cattle rustlers and facilitators he said, the government is sustaining the war on banditry and its perpetrators, enablers, benefactors and beneficiaries by making banditry a painful venture, ensuring recovery of stolen livestock and rewarding facilitators of recoveries.