Samburu: Leaders from Samburu County are urging local communities to foster harmony amidst escalating insecurity in the region.
According to Kenya News Agency, the leaders are calling for an end to outdated cultural practices that promote conflict, especially in light of increasing banditry and cattle rustling incidents reported in Samburu North and West.
Former Samburu Woman Representative Maison Leshoomo, alongside other leaders, has appealed to the government through the Ministry of Interior to initiate peace talks among the feuding communities in Baragoi. The aim is to curb the ongoing highway robberies and cattle rustling that have resulted in several fatalities and hospitalizations. Leshoomo has also urged the church to play a role in uniting the Samburu and Turkana communities to break the cycle of revenge attacks.
Leaders have condemned a recent cattle rustling incident in Poro village, Samburu West, which led to the death of a woman and left three others with gunshot injuries. They have also called for thorough investigations into a robbery in Wamba town, where a businessman was killed and his two sons injured. Additionally, leaders demand swift action regarding a bus attack on February 27, 2025, where armed robbers killed two people and injured ten others.
In a recent press statement, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan assured residents of the government's commitment to restoring peace through an ongoing operation to remove illegal firearms. The commissioner highlighted the rise in insecurity since early 2025, attributed to illegal arms proliferation, impacting areas such as the Maralal-Baragoi road and towns like Maralal, Kisima, Wamba, and Archers Post. He affirmed that individuals involved in banditry and cattle rustling have been identified and will face justice soon.