Women and girls flee region as swoop on illegal weapons starts

Hundreds of women and young girls have fled Isiolo and Samburu districts ahead of a police operation to recover illegal weapons because they fear they would be raped.

The women are moving to towns outside the operation zone such as Meru, Naro Moru and even Nairobi.

The operation is expected to begin today after the expiry of a deadline for voluntary surrender of the weapons.

And even though police commander Anthony Kamitu, who would lead the operation, assured the residents that the swoop would be conducted with a human face, women like Mary Lesingiran and Rosemary Asiguru, say they would not take chances with their safety.

Ms Lesingiran, a mother of two, has seen it all before during last year’s operation to recover stolen livestock. This time around, she says, no one can convince her that it will be any different.
“If looking for cattle that can’t be hidden in huts resulted in beatings and rapes, how can the operation to recover guns which can be hidden in huts be any different? It could even be worse,” lamented Ms Lesingiran, a resident of Archer’s Post.

She continued: “I’m running away because if they did anything bad to me, my husband would definitely leave me.”

Apprehension is now building among locals over the manner in which the operation will be executed, with local leaders urging the government to carry out the exercise peacefully. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the National Muslim Leaders Forum (Namlef) have established a crisis centre where victims can file reports of human rights abuses.

Namlef regional chairman Hussein Guleid said in a press release in Isiolo that they had urged the government to conduct the operation without torturing civilians and sexually abusing women and girls.

“We support the disarmament exercise because it will bolster peace in the region, but it should not violate human rights,” the statement read.

Ms Rosemary Asiguru does not want to remember this Christmas because it has disrupted her life. She has had to run to Nairobi, where her two daughters live, instead of partying with other family members at their rural home in Ngare Mara.

“I cannot invite my daughters over because they might fall victim to sexual abuses during the operation,” she said.

Mr Abdikarim Jillo, a resident, fears that sexual abuses against women would break families. He said that most men in the area divorce women who have been raped.

“I would not live with a woman who has been raped since I’m not sure of the rapist’s HIV status,” said Mr Jillo.

Excessive force

However, Isiolo DC James Mwaura assured local residents that the operation will be peaceful and that they have nothing to fear, adding that any officer who would abuse civilians would be dealt with accordingly.

Three weeks ago, Defence minister Yussuf Haji warned security officers against using excessive force to disarm residents.

Mr Haji urged the officers to uphold human rights and carry out the disarmament with a human face.

On his part, Livestock Development minister Mohammed Kuti urged the government to establish a complaints office to track the activities of the officers who will carry out the operation.

But Mr Kamitu, who is drawn from the GSU, said that the operation will be safe and called on locals to cooperate with the officers.

He urged the residents to immediately report any cases of torture or rape to him or to the DC’s office to allow for timely action to be taken against the culprits.

The operation commander also warned residents against resisting police search, saying that this may lead to the use of force.

“If you engage the officers in fire exchange or develop some resistance, they will use force to conduct the operation,” he warned.