Tension in Laikipia as herdsmen invade farms, destroy crops

Tension in Laikipia as herdsmen invade farms, destroy crops

Tension is high in Ng’arua, Laikipia County following an invasion by herdsmen from the Pokot and Samburu Counties in search of pasture for their livestock.

Residents are now living in fear after the herdsmen from the neibouring Baringo and Saburu Counties forced their animals into their farms, with the most affected being in Maua, Miteta, Kamwenje and Mastoo villages.

The residents lamented that the animals have destroyed crops worth thousands of shillings and asked the government to intervene.

Local leaders led by Githiga Ward MCA Peter Thomi Waigwa urged the government to restore calm in the area and ensure that residents live in peace without intimidation from the herdsmen.

The leaders also cautioned the herdsmen against invading people’s farms as this was not only illegal but also a breach of human rights.

Two months ago, the government ordered forceful disarmament in Laikipia and neighbouring counties in a bid to quell rampant cases of insecurity in the region.

This comes just days after livestock farmers in Samburu County appealed to the county and national government to supply grass to the region to save their livestock from dying of starvation.

The farmers lamented that pasture in the region has been destroyed by the severe drought that has persisted since August 2015, adding that they have been depending on grass planted in former Samburu West MP Simeon Lesirma’s farm and who has now stopped sharing the grass.

“I appeal to the county and national government to unite so that they can supply our community with grass. If they fail to do so we might lose our cattle before February if the drought persists,” Edward Losenge, a resident of Loosuk area, told Citizen Digital.

According to Losenge, the former MP has reserved the remaining 900 bales of grass for his cattle after selling more than 70 per cent of his stock to residents at Sh300 for each bale.

 

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Samburu Laikipia County. Pokot

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