Politics stokes tensions in Baragoi

Politics is stoking the ethnic rivalry between pastoralist communities in Samburu county, making peace-building a complicated task.

As campaigns heat up for elective seats, the contest in Baragoi, where 42 policemen were recently killed by cattle rustlers, is raising temperatures. This was evident when the parliamentary security committee visited the county to investigate the killings.

Turkana leaders protested the presence of Maison Leshoomo, a nominated MP from Samburu, in the team led by Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi. Others in the team were Raphael Letimalo of Samburu East and Chachu Nganya of North Horr.

The Turkana leaders had no problem with Mr Letimalo but claimed Ms Leshoomo was an “interested party” in the Samburu-Turkana conflict. She was forced to leave the meeting.

Three Turkana civic leaders, Paul Edapal, Jecinta Nachu and Joseph Lokwalol, also declined to be addressed jointly with their Samburu counterparts by the visiting MPs.

Since the creation of Samburu North constituency, political rivalry between the communities has deepened.

Register voters

Turkana leaders claimed some Samburu leaders had hatched a plot to force the Turkana out of Baragoi.

The thinking among the Samburu, the leaders said, is that if Turkana register as voters there, they would easily elect one of their own as MP.

Although they are less numerous than the Samburu, the Turkana are fielding one hopeful, high school teacher Richard Nabei, while their opponents have three – Alois Lentoimaga, Thomas Leremore and Stephano Lepatoiye.

But the majority of Turkana residents, fearing a security operation after the killing of police officers on November 10, fled Baragoi. This means they will miss out on voter registration which ends later this month.

Councillor Edapal says the operation was meant to disenfranchise the Turkana.

“The aim of the security operation is to ensure Turkanas do not register as voters since thousands of them have already left Baragoi,” he told the Sunday Nation by phone. He told the Kapondi-led team the same thing.

The Samburu delegation – Mr Lentoimaga, councillor Wilson Leshore and Mr Romano Leakono – called for the protection of their people from heavily armed Turkana raiders.

They protested the disarmament of the Kenya Police Reservists arguing that they were left vulnerable as Turkana still have the guns they stole from the policemen killed in the Suguta valley.

Although the Turkana started settling in Baragoi in the 1940s, the Samburu still see them as foreigners.

But the Turkana maintain that they settled in the area before the arrival of the British colonialists.

Continuous cattle raids between the communities have led to bad blood.

James Lesaana, 71, a retired soldier, says the Turkana have sophisticated weapons.

The Turkana say they are being pushed out of Baragoi to Turkana South and, having none of their own in leadership, they feel they have no one to defend them.

“We have no one to protect our interests since the MP here is a Samburu, and that is why we are always seen as the aggressors,” said Petro Lopete.

Baragoi is in Samburu West constituency represented by Internal Security assistant minister Simeon Lesirma. The other MP is Ms Leshoomo, a PNU nominated MP.

“When we move west towards Suguta valley, we come into contact with the Pokot who are better armed than us,” Mr Lopete said. This makes the Samburu feel under siege, he added.

Turkana leaders told the Kapondi team that only by having an MP from their community will their troubles end.

The Turkana and Samburu have demarcated their own zones in Baragoi.

While the Samburu occupy the eastern side, the Turkana inhabit the western part that extends to Suguta valley.

The Turkana side is nevertheless better developed in terms of modern buildings. This is because other non-Samburu communities, including the Kikuyu, Meru, Somali and Luo, who have settled in Baragoi to do business, live among the Turkana.

There are several storey buildings coming up owned by members of the Turkana and other migrant communities.
But the Turkana still complain of being neglected by the government.

“Most of the government projects are diverted to the Samburu side since their leaders are able to use their influence,” claimed Jeremiah Ngiyoro.

Ms Leshoomo has been at the centre of accusations of bias, with the Turkana accusing her of having a hidden hand in the security operation in the region.

But the MP has dismissed the accusation as propaganda.

“It is Turkanas who started the war by attacking Samburus on October 20 and stole our livestock. They then killed 12 Samburus who had gone to recover the animals and eventually they killed policemen and Samburu home guards,” Ms Leshoomo said by telephone. She said she has no interest in Samburu North constituency.

“I am vying for the county women’s representative seat, and if it is true that I am behind the woes facing the Turkana, will I be comfortable seeing them flee Baragoi to settle in Maralal where most of my voters are?” she asked.

When the committee toured the area, Mr Kapondi assured the communities that an operation would be conducted to return the stolen animals and retrieve illegal firearms, not to victimise communities.