Frustration and anger are palpable among the residents of Tigania East as they march to the office of the police commander, demanding action against rampant banditry that has seen approximately 3,000 cows stolen in recent months.
The aggrieved community members are not only decrying the loss of their livestock but are also accusing local authorities, including the chief and security forces, of colluding with the bandits.
Eliud Mwiria, one of the victims of the ongoing banditry, expressed his dismay at the inaction and perceived complicity of the authorities.
“When my cows were stolen, we were told that there was an upcoming operation. It didn't happen. Later, we were told that the chief and some elders would bring back our cows. There is no way they can bring back ten cows while 10,000 were stolen. The person who brings back the cows must be arrested because seemingly, they know where the cows are. When you look at me, where do you think I can buy other cows?” Mwiria questioned.
Japhet Nkunja, another resident, lamented the loss and the lack of recovery efforts, claiming that the animals are their sources of income.
“Many cows have been stolen, many people have been killed, and there are no cows that have been brought back. This situation has hugely affected us because we depend on those animals at the market,” he stated.
Adding to the chorus of discontent, another resident pointed out the questionable tactics employed by the authorities in dealing with the bandits, disclosing that the chief and police officers in the region have been bargaining with the bandits.
“When the cows are stolen, the government goes to negotiate with the thieves. We are told that the chief brings two cows, and then he is told that the others will come. The suspect is not taken to police custody, yet there are deaths committed, and the guns used are illegal,” he stated amid cheers from the crowd.
He requested government agencies to beef up security in the valley where bandits drive their cattle.
“We are asking the government to flush out those bandits, compensate the deceased, and compensate those whose cows have been stolen so that we know the government is taking care of us,” the resident demanded, calling for a more robust and transparent response from the government.
The banditry demonstrations have come barely a day after President William Ruto visited the region, praising the former Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki for flashing out bandits in Rift Valley and ending crime in the country.
The gravity of the banditry issue was underscored by a tragic incident on Friday, March 15, in Doldol, Laikipia County.
One person was killed, and several police officers were injured following a bandit attack.
Tigania East OCPD Emmanuel Kiplagat, who was leading an operation to retrieve livestock reportedly stolen from Matabithi, Meru County, three weeks prior, sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder during the altercation.
Kiplagat and his team had recovered 300 livestock before the ambush, the animals were once again stolen by suspected bandits.
