The National Security Administrative Committee has been called to probe cattle rustling at the border of Nandi and Kisumu counties.
Muhoroni MP Onyango K’Oyoo the committee should urgently visit the area to help foster peace after five people were killed in Kibigori area on Friday last week. He condemned the clashes between communities living at the border saying they have co-existed peacefully for ages. He spoke to the press on Sunday in Kisumu after visiting victims at the hospitals.
He said the clashes seems that it is beyond the alleged cattle theft cases and urged the police to thoroughly investigate the vice. K’Oyoo asked Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery and IG Joseph Boinnet should deploy enough anti-stock theft officers in the rustling prone areas.
He said the government should find a lasting solution to rustling which also left five other people serious injured with eight houses torched.
“It is so unfortunate to see innocent lives being lost and property destroyed. We want security officers to exercise decorum and fairness in probing the violence,” he said.
K’Oyoo said the country is nearing the 2017 elections and those people perpetrating hatred among the neighbouring communities should face the law. He asked the police officers who have been deployed at the border to restore peace and ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted. He criticised police officers based in Nandi over their alleged remarks that Luo community are not in government.
He said he will engage his counterparts from Nandi counties to ensure a long lasting peace for the benefit of development and economic growth. He sent the message of condolence to the bereaved families who have lost their beloved ones in the clashes.
Assistant Inspector General Joseph Keitany said one person has been arrested in connection with the clashes.
He said they have circulated names of those suspected to have committed the murders of those who died in the clashes. Keitany warned politicians against the statements that might fuel chaos.
Kisumu County Commissioner John Elungata had announced that they have 50 names of cattle rustlers’ ad those who sell meat from the stolen animals.
Elungata appealed for calm in the area as they find an amicable way of solving the dispute without losing lives.
Rustlers on Thursday night drove away six animals from Muhoroni constituency. Residents of Muhoroni Friday morning went to Nandi side and took away 20 animals from the grazing field in retaliation.
They drove away the animals and hide them, with a condition that the five animals stolen must be returned to the owner.
This angered residents of Nandi who have stormed the area demanding back their animals, occasioning a standoff.