Wanton North Rift insecurity dominates Ruto prayer meet

Insecurity ravaging many parts of Rift Valley dominated a prayer meeting attended by President William Ruto in Nakuru yesterday.

Leaders who attended the meeting among them governors, senators and MPs complained over runaway insecurity in Baringo, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Turkana and West Pokot which has led to deaths of more than 200 people in the past one year and displacement of scores of others from their homes.

Trans Nzoia Governor and former Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya attributed the government’s failure to tackle the issue to what he called poor strategy and lack of commitment by some state officials.

Lack incentives

He said police officers serving in the region lack morale because they don’t get any incentives and allowances. “I served as RC here for three years and what I discovered is that the officers work under very poor conditions. They sometimes go without food for days. This has forced some of them to enter into unholy alliances with bandits by leasing out their guns and bullets to buy food,” said Natembeya.

According to Natembeya, some government officials also benefit from the proceeds of stolen livestock by colluding with armed criminals and always name sure they bungle any security operation.

“They get proper security briefing on the hideouts of criminals including the coordinates but you are surprised as they deliberately hit the wrong places during security operations. This is a shame to us as a nation,” said Governor Natembeya.

Insecurity menace

President Ruto reiterated the government’s commitment to end the insecurity menace ravaging many parts of the country adding that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki who has been on a tour of the North Rift will camp in the area until the issue is sorted out. “We will use all means as a government to ensure that all criminals terrorizing innocent Kenyans are dealt with firmly. We will ensure that no Kenyans lose their lives again and if they try us, we will put them where they belong,” said President Ruto.

He said the government will continue empowering and arming National Police Reservists (NPRs) to help security officers in beefing up security in banditry prone regions in the country. The complaints come amid rise in banditry in the region, which has seen daring bandits stage attacks some kilometres away from where CS Kindiki has been holding security meetings.

President Ruto also said all schools in banditry prone regions will be reopened and provided with enough security.