Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga yesterday took his campaigns to the North Rift region where he promised residents his government would find a long-lasting solution to insecurity in the area if elected Head of State.

Raila, who pitched camp in the backyard of his main rival, Kenya Kwanza’s presidential candidate William Ruto, expressed concern over rising cases of banditry and cattle rustling in the region, leading to killings and displacements.

In Tot, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Raila attributed the runaway insecurity bedevilling the region to high levels of poverty. “There is very bad situation here of insecurity… I have seen widows speaking here…” he said. “This insecurity is caused by poverty… we don’t want to see these killings and theft of livestock again and one of the ways we will do that is to address poverty.”

He said he that he had received similar concerns during his tour of Turkana on Wednesday and Baringo previously. “We must sit down with all affected communities. We must also remove illegal guns from this region,” he said. “If we manage to restore security then development will come,” he said, promising to build more irrigation schemes in the region.

He also promised to revive the stalled Arror and Kimwarer dams.

“You know who stole the money but they’re now blaming other people,” said Raila, who was accompanied Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos and his West Pokot counterpart John Lonyangapuo.