- Pkosing said the Pokots are exposed as all the neighbouring communities have been given NPRs.
- Lotee said all communities should be given NPRs equally or all of them denied altogether.
Image: HANDOUT
Lawmakers from West Pokot County have decried the unfair deployment of National Police Reservists (NPRs) in the war against banditry in the North Rift Region.
Led by Pokot South MP David Pkosing, the MPs said the skewed deployment of NPRs had exposed members of the Pokot Community to attacks from their neighbours.
Speaking at a press conference at Parliament Buildings, the lawmakers said they raised the matter with President William Ruto in their meeting last month but nothing has been forthcoming.
“Other communities raid the Pokots but when they retaliate, KDF is sent to deal with them. We want to ask whether we are all Kenyans and whether the law is supposed to serve us equally,” Mr Pkosing said.
Other MPs at the press conference were Samuel Moroto (Kapenguria), Titus Lotee (Kacheliba), Peter Lokachapong (Sigor) and the county woman representative Rael Aleutum.
The MPs claimed that the majority of Pokot people have been injured and even killed by the Kenya Defence Force.
Pkosing said the Pokots are exposed as all the neighbouring communities have been given NPRs.
The legislators called on the government to give NPRs to Pokot to protect them against banditry attacks.
Lokachapong said Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is yet to convene a meeting with the West Pokot leaders to address the insecurity situation in the region as directed by the President.
Lotee said anytime they raise the insecurity in the region, they are accused of incitement.
“We are ready to be summoned by any authority to record statements so that we can provide the information about insecurity in the region,” Lotee added.
He said all communities should be given NPRs equally or all of them denied altogether.
The MPs now want the government to meet all the hospital expenses of those admitted in Kapenguria as a result of banditry and compensate families whose loved ones have been killed.
They put the number of those injured at 20 saying most are admitted at Kapenguria Hospital with some at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.