[Nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda. biggestkaka. They want the government to compensate farmers whose animals were killed by police.] Leaders from Samburu County have told Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery to account for the animals recently shot in one of the county’s ranches.
Woman representative Maison Leshoomo and nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda said it was clear the animals were shot by police but government had remained silent over the killings.
There is presently a tag of war between animal herders in Samburu and ranch owners in the county.
Whereas the herders want to be allowed to graze the animals in the large and expansive ranches, ranch owners are against the demand claiming it could be a ploy by the local leadership to subdivide their land.
Most ranch owners live in Europe and only visit the farms once in a while.
“Nkaissery should tell Samburu’s why he is silent on this,” Leshoomo said on Tuesday.“We are tired of this silence.
Farmers have lost their animals and hyenas and lions are having a field day feeding on the animals after being chased into the forest by helicopters.”
Some of the animals grazing in the ranches come from as far as Isiolo , Marsabit and Garissa counties.
Lesuuda said government should move with speed and compensate all farmers who lost animals when police and officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service chased the livestock from the ranches.
In neighbouring Isiolo, County Assembly Majority Leader Muhamed Tulu said residents should be allowed to graze animals in the ranches as well as the Meru National Park.
The ranchers say the herders were allowed to drive the animals in their land because of drought but no that the rains are back, they should be driven away.