By Betty Luke
Elders drawn from Isiolo’s Somali, Ameru and Borana communities have appealed to the government to move with haste and help them recover livestock that has been stolen in the past cattle rustling incidents.
Led by Borana Council of Elders chair Abdullahi Gonjobe, the elders faulted the government for allegedly halting a planned security operation to allow a group of local MCAs engage their communities to recover the lost animals and share name of suspects involved in the crime.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki during a meeting at a Mlango in Isiolo a fortnight ago gave some MCAs from Isiolo and Samburu counties seven days to engage communities suspected to be behind a series of cattle rustling incidents to recover lost animals pending the planned security operation.
“When the government announced a security operation we were excited because we knew they would help us recover all the animals we had lost. It saddens me that the CS heeded to the request of politicians whose initiative is yet to bear fruits,” Mr Gonjobe said.
His sentiments were echoed by Isiolo Njuri Ncheke Director Isaac Ngeera who claimed that the government was biased while disarming communities, exposing some of them to security threats.
“We wonder why the government was not fair and only picked guns from our communities leaving us victims to those with guns. If they cannot protect us, they should give us guns so we can protect ourselves and our property,” he said.
Somali Council of Elders chair Sharif Abdulahi called on CS Kindiki to expedite the security operation that he said would help recover the animals as well as arrest criminals behind the attacks.
“I urge CS Kindiki to tighten his belt and embark on an operation in Isiolo Sub-County which is the most affected. We cannot continue losing lives and our property while the government is busy listening to politicians who simply want to protect their communities,” said Mr Abdulahi.
The MCAs, led by Samburu East Kelvin Lemantaan, Isiolo’s Peter Losu (Ngaremara), Nicholas Lorot (Burat) and Rebecca Lolosoli and Francisco Letimalo nominated in Samburu and Isiolo Assemblies nnounced that as of last weekend they had recovered over 150 cows, goats and camels that they said would be issued to the owners.
The ward representatives however requested for an extra week to enable them to reach out to all the communities saying the area they had intended to cover was vast and some residents had moved to far places fearing the security operation.
“If added some more time we will reach out to all those we suspect might have been involved in the retrogressive culture of cattle rustling and we are sure that we shall achieve at least 80 percent recovery,” said Mr Lemantaan.
