The return of banditry in Kerio Valley has badly jolted efforts that had been taken to ensure lasting peace in the region that is now popularly referred to as the valley of death.
Within a month, twenty people have been killed and more than 1,000 displaced and banditry attacks continued even after the government deployed more than 400 security officers armed with facilities including Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs).
Not even a visit by Deputy President William Ruto could stop the banditry attacks and the government, local leaders, civil society groups and even religious groups are now looking into possible causes on banditry in the region and how to end the attacks.
“We must look into causes of banditry and come up with lasting solutions because we have lost so many people and suffered massive destruction of property along with retarding development activities while other parts of the country are moving on with civilization”, says former Marakwet East MP Linah Kilimo.
Many schools, hospitals and other public and private facilities have been shut down due to the impact of the attacks that have affected mainly Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Pokot, Turkana and parts of Samburu counties.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen consoling the family of a victim killed by banditry in Kerio Valley last month
Most affected or involved are the Marakwet and Pokot communities who live side by side with their regions only separated by the Kerio River which meanders deep in the valley that provide scenic images for tourism but has now been turned into a graveyard for victims of banditry.
No one brought forth the pain of killings caused by bandits than Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo when he recently cried out loudly saying he was tired of burying his constituents weekly or taking injured victims to hospitals almost on daily basis.
“I am tired of burying my people killed by bandits. I suffer and dreams because of the frequent burials. I was not elected by people so that I attend their funerals”, said Kangogo.
But the bandits could hear none of his cries and even went ahead to stage an attack near the funeral of a victim. The MP and other mourners scampered for safety living a priest to guard the coffin bearing the body of deceased.
Analysts and leaders attribute banditry in the region to several causes including cultural, commercial, political, marginalization of some communities and easy access to small arms in the area where it’s estimated that communities illegally own more than 30,000 guns.
“Marginalization or underdevelopment is actually one of the main problems causing banditry in Kerio Valley. For example on the Marakwet side we have had considerable development progammes implemented within the last ten years while on the Pokot side little has been done”, said Murkomen.
He said Tiaty constituency in Baringo has been the source of many of the bandits who are suspected to frequently cross the border to attack the Marakwet side. Murkomen says with no tangible development in parts of Tiaty, the region provides a haven for banditry to thrive.
Murkomen says banditry has greatly affected development and many youth on Marakwet side have been contemplating to abandon education and other activities and arm themselves to defend their communities.
Hundreds of women and children have been forced to flee from villages and seek refuge in caves along the escapements of Kerio Valley as the bandits take charge attacking in broad daylight to kill and steal livestock that is the main source of livelihood for families in the region.
“But education and development of the infrastructure are some of the ways we can use to transform communities and have them engage in modern day means of earning a living”, says Murkomen.
Governor for Elgeyo Marakwet Alex Tolgos says in some cases the stolen livestock are loaded onto lorries and driven away raising fears a commercial aspect in the banditry problem that has bedeviled the North Rift region for many decades.
There have been claims that some politicians and businessman have been hiring bandits to stage raids and steal animals which are sold in other parts of the country or slaughterhouses.
Vice Chairman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) George Morara says there is a possibility that cattle rustling in the region has been commercialized with far reaching negative economic and social impacts on affected communities.
“We are still making follow ups and soon we will have a report from our investigations”, says Moraa.
IG Joseph Boinnet during a visit to Kerio Valley last month
But banditry just like Female Genital Mutiliation (FGM) has also been an old age cultural practice with the Marakwet and Pokot among other communities in the region. Young men who undergo initiation especially within the Pokot community are required to get on their own cattle for paying dowry to marry.
“In many cases the young men who want to marry after being cut have to prove their manhood through staging the banditry raids and return home with many heads of livestock before being allowed to marry”, said Mzee Paul Loyatum from Pokot.
However he says with civilization the community has largely abandoned the practice though he admits that it’s still practiced in many areas.
Political leaders from all communities in the region have engaged in a blame game over banditry accusing each other of inciting the banditry attacks for political gain.
Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo and Murkomen have in the recent past engaged in such blame games after Lonyangapuo hosted a cultural event where he was installed as a Pokot community spokesman.
Some of the traditional songs used during the ceremony were said to have been used traditionally in times of war and Murkomen claimed that it was after the ceremony that banditry attacks intensified in the region.
“I am a well known peace maker. We should not look for excuses to blame for cattle rustling. We need to look into the problem head on and together find peace for our people”, said Lonyangapuo.
After the ceremony claims emerged that the Pokot community had resolved to use banditry attacks to extend boundaries of the territory they occupy in the region. The community has in many cases been as the aggressors while Marakwets cry foul lamenting that they had been turned into victims of he attacks.
Sigor MP Phillip Rotino is however of a different view which he made clear when he recently stormed a Marakwet peace meeting in Kerio Valley.
“I have come to tell you that both of us Pokot and Marakwet are on the wrong and no community should claim a victim of aggression,"
Rotino added:"We rather tell ourselves the truth and for now I will tell you the truth that we have all been stealing animals from each other perpetrating banditry and we have to stop it”.
He says both sides must admit and own the problem of banditry then jointly seek solutions.
Tiaty MP Asman Kamama who is Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on security and a member of the Pokot community has also been accused of failing in his responsibilities with questioning why he should head such a crucial position and do little to help end banditry.
“As a local leader I have played my part including leading peace efforts and as parliament we have also done what we should do to deal with insecurity in all forms including banditry”, says Kamama.
Outgoing police chief in Elgeyo Marakwet says they were following up reports that some of the political leaders and elites from the communities have actually been participating in inciting the communities and even helping them to acquire guns illegally.
Police say within the month of September alone about 2,000 guns were illegally acquired in the area as the banditry raids increased.
According to former IG David Kimaiyo, the infiltration of small arms into the hands of civilians is a major cause of banditry in Kerio Valley.
“The state has to look into effective ways of dealing with the problem or illegal arms in a manner that will not make any of the communities feel they have been left vulnerable to attacks”, he says. Government estimates indicate that nomadic communities in the region hold upto 50,000 small arms illegally.
The arms have been used to kill more than 1,500 people in banditry attacks in the region within the last decade during which where an estimated 100,000 heads of livestock were also stolen in the affected five counties. Those killed also include hundreds of security officers.
The government has over the years unsuccessfully used several measures in attempts to end the cattle rustling menace.
From forceful disarmament, voluntary surrender of illegal arms, amnesty to the bandits to surrender, deployment of heavy security and even security operations that at times involved KDF, there has been little success and not more than 3,000 guns have been seized.
“There is need for an all inclusive approach involving communities themselves. The use of force alone can not work,” says Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir who has been on the forefront of leading peace efforts in Kerio Valley.
He says there is need for the government to invest heavily in education, infrastructure, food production through irrigation and other economic activities that will communities in the region alternative means of earning a living instead of relying on banditry.
Kilimo says it will take transformation of the hearts of the local communities along with development to end banditry but not the use of force.
Security chiefs including CS Joseph Nkaissery, IG Joseph Boinett and Rift Valley regional coordinator Wanyama Musiambo argue that the government has deployed adequate security to deal with banditry and soon the problem will be a thing of the past.
Residents of Kerio Valley however consider thus is as a familiar statement only said to please the outside world as banditry continues unabated.
During Ruto’s recent visit to the region to asses the security situation he ordered more measures to be put in place including hiring of 3,200 National Police Reservists (NPR) to work with communities in dealing with banditry.
Police officers already deployed in the area should be relocated to trouble spots where bandits operate instead of residing at market centers.
The government he says has also planned to open up infrastructure in the region along with education institutions as part of the measures that will bring civilization to Kerio Valley.
However all stakeholders agree that it dialogue to discus challenges causing banditry is the best way forward.
For the time being Kerio Valley has been turned into the valley of death and residents just hope that with time the gunfire and singing of funeral dirges will die out across the villages and escarpments.