Kitui and Tana River county bosses urge residents to end border hostilities

Security teams from Kitui and Tana River have called on residents living along the border of the two counties to embrace peace and end perennial tribal clashes and banditry attacks.

County commissioners from the two regions Wednesday led a delegation of security officers in a day long consultative meeting and a familiarisation tour of the insecurity-prone areas along the border.

The team toured areas recently affected by banditry attacks such as Sosoma, Mwanzele and Katumba in Mwingi East in a bid to assess the security situation before they converged for a five-hour closed-door meeting at Nguni market.

Kitui County Commissioner Boaz Cherotich and his Tana River counterpart Hassan Akoro, while addressing journalists after the meeting, called on communities living along the border to live harmoniously.

They also reassured residents of the government’s commitment in improving security in the two counties.

“The government is committed towards helping residents of both counties and want the communities to co-exist peacefully,” Mr Akoro said.

He said that mid-2015, close to ten people died following banditry attacks and clashes between farmers and herders.

LASTING PEACE

He added that security officers from the both counties would continue to work closely to ensure there is a lasting peace.

“We are working together as security agents from both counties to ensure there is peace and stability at the border,” Mr Akoro said.

Between June and July 2015, the government spent Sh6 million to carry out an operation aimed at driving away illegal herders and bandits after insecurity escalated in Tseikuru, Ukasi and Mutha.

The officials said after the operation, calm had returned to the areas tension had gone down over the last several months.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the two county bosses urged the security officials and local leaders in the border districts to hold regular peace meetings and address issues affecting the residents.

The two administrators agreed that insecurity had destabilised education along the border, hence the need for regular meetings.

Many locals had fled the area following the 2015 clashes and several schools were deserted.

Mr Cherotich said both county and the national governments will work tirelessly to ensure standards of living of the locals are uplifted.

“In future we are planning to hold several public rallies with our MCAs, MPs and other elected leaders in order to interact with our people and address their concerns,” he said.

MOTORBIKES FOR CHIEFS

Mr Cherotich said Kitui County has received 140 motorbikes from the national government, which he said will be used by chiefs to improve service delivery to the people.

“The government is committed towards facilitating our officers to work efficiently by putting up necessary structures in every location,” he said.

He further stated that the number of the assistant county commissioners, formerly known as Dos, will be increased.

He said the Nyumba Kumi security initiative had greatly helped security agents in the county.

“We have seen a very good collaboration between members of the public and our security personnel. Our people are giving us vital information which has really improved the state of security in Kitui,” Mr Cherotich said.

The two administrators warned stun action will be taken on charcoal smugglers who have been engaging in illegal transportation of the comodity in Kitui by using permits allegedly issued in Tana River.

Mr Akoro said government officials suspected to be part of the charcoal cartels will be probed.

“We are going to investigate those allegations. It is irregular for any reasonable government official from Tana River to issue permits for charcoal to be ferried from Kitui County,” he said.