Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has raised the
alarm over rising cases of exploitation targeting farmers during the harvesting
season in the North Rift region.
The CS said some farmers are being defrauded of their
hard-earned wealth by sex workers and criminal rings posing as visitors.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement in West Pokot, CS
Murkomen revealed that beyond the ongoing infrastructure efforts, there are
long-standing social and criminal activities that resurface during the harvest
period.
"Around harvesting time, some
characters come into this town and defraud men. People are being targeted for
their wealth," he said.
He cautioned that the influx of such individuals during
harvest season is part of a calculated ploy to exploit farmers’ sudden
financial gain.
According to Murkomen, this exploitation is deeply linked to
organised crime, which takes advantage of the seasonal wealth circulating in
the region.
"What is important is for us to deal with it decisively," he emphasised.
"We have discussed some strategies with
the team on how to move forward."
Murkomen also hinted that the matter could soon warrant
national-level attention, saying the Inspector General of Police and the Director
of Criminal Investigations may have to deploy a special investigation team to
crack down on the syndicates once and for all.
"As to whether a few people are being taken to court or
not, I have no information that way," he added.
He urged law enforcement agencies to strengthen local monitoring mechanisms and ensure farmers are protected from social and financial exploitation.
"The Director of Criminal Investigations might have to send a special investigation team to once and for all crack the issue," he added.
