Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has linked cattle rustling and banditry in pastoralist areas to historical marginalisation and underdevelopment, saying improved road connectivity is necessary for a lasting solution to insecurity.
Murkomen made the remarks after meeting leaders from Isiolo County to discuss the recent rise in banditry incidents and measures to strengthen security in affected areas.
“Cattle rustling and banditry are largely a result of historic marginalization in pastoralist areas,” Murkomen said, adding that “perpetrators are, at the same time, victims of underdevelopment.”
He said the government’s response must therefore extend beyond security operations to include development and improved connectivity between pastoralist communities and the rest of the country.
“A permanent solution to the problem can only be achieved through increased road connectivity to the rest of the country,” Murkomen said.
More security personnel
Murkomen said the government is strengthening security operations in Isiolo through additional personnel, infrastructure and equipment.
He said more National Police Reservists (NPRs) are being trained and deployed to bolster security in the county. The government is also operationalising additional police stations and establishing security camps in areas identified as banditry hotspots.
More security equipment is also being deployed to officers working on the ground, according to the CS.
The measures come as leaders from Isiolo engage the government over the recent spate of banditry incidents in the county.
Roads target affected counties
Alongside the security response, Murkomen said the government is processing funding for the construction of access roads in counties affected by banditry.
The announcement places road infrastructure at the centre of Murkomen’s proposed long-term response to insecurity in pastoralist regions, with improved connectivity presented as a means of addressing the development challenges he identified as contributing to cattle rustling and banditry.
Murkomen did not provide details on the specific roads to be funded or the amount of funding being processed.
The meeting brought together a section of Isiolo leaders, including Deputy Governor James Lowasa, Isiolo North MP Joseph Samal and Members of the County Assembly, among others.
The leaders met with Murkomen to explore solutions to the recent banditry incidents and discuss measures to strengthen security in the county.
Murkomen’s remarks outline a two-track government response in Isiolo and other banditry-prone counties: increased security measures in affected areas and investment in road connectivity to address longer-term development challenges.
