North Rift MPs Want Ministry Established to Address Banditry 

A section of Members of Parliament from the bandit-hit North Rift region want a ministry to be established dedicated to addressing banditry. 

In an effort to deal with marginalisation of the region, the group resolved that a ministry dedicated to issues of North Rift region equivalent to the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs of Uganda should be established.

The ministry of interior and defence among others are involved in the fight against the menace which has claimed tens of lives in the past months.

They also want a fund to be set up by the government for compensation of victims who loose lives and property to banditry attacks.

Led by Tiaty MP William Kamket, the leaders complained that despite President William Ruto promising compensation, nothing has been effected.

“The government should establish a fund where money for compensating people who lose lives and property and incur injuries following attacks by bandits would be drawn from,” said Kamket.

They pointed out that business people have also lost money and their stock to security officers who loot during operations should be compensated.

The leaders questioned why the government was compensating people who lose lives through calamities such as floods and fire among others, leaving out those who suffer in the hands of bandits.

The MPs were speaking when they appeared before the Hassan Adan Yussuf- led National Assembly Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee where they made proposals aimed at amicably resolving the unending skirmishes in the bandit prone North Rift region.

They claimed senior security officers were using banditry as a cash cow as they were minting millions of shillings in allowances from money meant for operations to counter attacks by criminals.

Kamket said the government should forcefully drive residents from the troubled areas to seek education as one way of eradicating illiteracy and banditry.

Turkana Woman Representative Cecilia Ngitit and Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda supported the need for locals to go to school, noting that illiteracy has hindered efforts to end banditry in the region.

“If I had not gone to school, I would probably be the wife of a bandit. If we manage to educate our people we would make positive strides in the fight against banditry that has contributed to the region lagging behind in development,” she added.

Lesuuda noted that burning of schools by bandits has affected academic progress of many young people.

She asked security personnel to protect learning institutions from attacks.

Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo said the government was not committed to the fight against banditry.

“Security officers deployed in the area to deal with bandits were selling bullets to criminals,” he claimed.

Baringo Woman Representative Florence Jematia said that deployment of inexperienced security officers to the area to tackle hardcore bandits showed lack of seriousness by the government to end the vice.

“We have experienced situations where members of the community had to rescue such officers from the hands of the bandits,” she added.

Charles Kimuren (Baringo South) claimed that senior security officers were pocketing allowances meant for their juniors who are deployed to deal with bandits.

“Such demoralised officers result in selling bullets to bandits to get money for their survival in the hardship area,” he alleged.

The MPs also want a legislation that will safeguard the National Police Reservists Unit, remodel the unit, define their roles and enhance their training.

The meeting also proposed that fire arms should be regulated through issuing of G3 guns to government security officers and NPRs to distinguish them from illegal gun owners.

They wanted borders of constituencies and counties clearly defined to avoid conflicts due to uncontrolled grazing.

Yussuf said the Committee was seeking partnership with donors and State Agencies to fund strategies aimed at getting a lasting solution to banditry in the region.

He commended the MPs for their input during the meeting that was useful to efforts to deal with conflicts that hampered peaceful coexistence and cohesion.