Laikipia: A two-year initiative to eliminate banditry and cattle rustling in Northern Kenya is yielding significant results as former community warriors, known as morans, are transforming into legitimate traders. Traditionally involved in highway attacks and cattle raids, these morans are now engaging in trade across livestock markets in Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo, and Laikipia counties.
According to Kenya News Agency, the shift has been facilitated by community elders, who have slowly persuaded these warriors to abandon their old practices. Cultural norms had kept the morans in the bushes, away from public scrutiny, making the transition a challenging task. Elders like Salim Rachachore, Samburu East peace chair and former chief, have been pivotal in promoting peace by encouraging morans to seek alternative livelihoods. This initiative is supported by the Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT).
Rachachore emphasized the importance of engaging young people in peace efforts, recounting their progress during an IMPACT community accountability and feedback forum in Jua Kali, Laikipia County. He noted that 62 age-group leaders among the morans have renounced criminal activities to become peace ambassadors. The community has provided grants to help them start new lives, with four groups receiving Sh200,000 each to encourage peace and self-sufficiency.
The transformation has also enabled some morans to restock their livestock legally, highlighting a departure from the past reliance on raids. Pius Lekwles, a former moran and beneficiary of the IMPACT grant, shared his success in the goat-selling business. He expressed gratitude for the support, noting that it came during a time of rampant motorist attacks and cattle rustling. The morans have not only learned trading but have also adopted saving habits, despite limited formal education.
IMPACT’s Director of Programmes, John Ting’oi, emphasized their focus on addressing conflict causes and offering alternative livelihoods to morans. The organization has provided Sh800,000 to four moran groups to kickstart livestock marketing, using them as peace promoters to influence other youths against banditry.