Baringo residents over the weekend rejected hundreds of bags of food supplies reportedly donated to them by Deputy President William Ruto.
The residents are said to have turned down the donation because of the shoot-to-kill order Ruto issued against bandits and the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in the area.
Health Principal Secretary Julius Korir and his Devolution counterpart Micah Powon had visited Tiaty with 1,200 bags of maize, 500 bags of beans, 400 bags of rice and 100 bags of high nutrition value food.
They were in the area to assess the health situation but brought along the food supplies which had reportedly been donated by the Deputy President.
Residents, however, shouted them down and walked away from the venue that served as the distribution point.
[caption caption="DP Ruto after he issued the shoot-to-kill orders"]
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Ruto issued the shoot-to-kill order in February after a rise in bandit attacks that saw many lives lost and livestock theft skyrocket.
The residents were strongly opposed to the directive and the deployment of KDF to ensure peace in the region stating that it would only worsen the situation.
Pokot elders threatened to withdraw support for Jubilee Party if the order was not lifted.
In July, the elders led by former former Ng'iynyang councillor Yuda Losutan appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to cancel the directive.
[caption caption="West Pokot Governor Prof. John Lonyangapuo meets Tiaty residents"]
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At the time, Losutan stated: "Unless the President, who we have no problem with, comes down and apologises to Pokot as well as lift the ban, we will rule that Jubilee leaders have no place here."
