By Kipilat Kaptuya
Poverty and illiteracy have been cited as the root cause of banditry and cattle rustling in the troubled Kerio Valley region.
Insecurity in the region has also affected the continuity of education by learners and prompted cultural practices like cattle rustling, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced early marriages and high levels of teenage pregnancies among others.
These problems have continued to perpetuate marginalization as residents lack basic amenities like schools, hospitals, water and pasture for their livestock.
Residents are asking the government to put more effort in addressing the issues, and according to area leaders, the national government, county governments, donors and other organizations should put more resources in semi and arid pastoral areas of the region as a permanent solution to insecurity and to stump out retrogressive practices like cattle rustling that hinders development in the region.
Sigor MP, Peter Lochakapong, and his Marakwet East Counterpart, Kangogo Bowen, said that poverty has led to many youths from pastoral areas to engage in vices.
The MPs named West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo as areas which need special attention.
They said that North rift region was marginalized by former regimes and there is need to help them.
“West Pokot was a closed district and residents were neglected and that is why most youths engage in cattle rustling. It is not their wish to do that,” said Bowen.
Sigor MP urged area leaders to come together and help end insecurity incidents that have resurfaced in the area.
“Leaders should be people of good will .We do not want to hear what is happening in Tiaty, Kapedo and Chesegon. We want to forget about such incidents,” he said, calling on the government and well-wishers to help youths from vulnerable families to access education.
Lochakapong said the national government remains with a large share of money doing nothing yet some Counties are struggling to implement projects.
“Sh80 billion in the health department sits in Nairobi doing nothing yet the county’s money is for drugs, human resources and other things. We have no tarmac road in West Pokot hence KURA and KERRA are doing nothing. Agriculture in Counties like Nairobi have done little,” he said.
Legislator Bowen said the current methods used by the Commission on Revenue Allocation is to allocate funds to counties are not favorable to some counties that are struggling in the country.
“We are struggling to balance doing projects. We have used a lot of funds in education for building ECD centers,” said Bowen.
He called for a lot of investment in programs that will help educate the masses in awareness creation and public education to help these conservatives communities understand the importance of education and development.
He urged the locals to continue maintaining peace and report any case of suspicious criminals to the security apparatus as the region of the highlands was the economic hub for the two counties in terms of dairy and other agricultural practices. He said constituency Development funds, County funds should be used to initiate development projects in the area.
