I am a peacemaker, says Tiaty MP Asman Kamama

Tiaty MP Asman Kamama has declared that he is a peacemaker and not a warlord.

His remarks came days after Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo ordered the arrest of two members of the Baringo County Assembly from Tiaty Sub-County.

The MCAs were expected to record statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations over remarks they made on Mashujaa Day.

The utterances were believed to have contributed to the animosity between the warring communities in Baringo and Turkana counties.

Baringo County Speaker Kassait Kamket was also recently arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi as he waited to board a plane to Turkey.

His arrest was in connection with recent killings in Baringo.

Following the arrest of the county Speaker, some residents of Kabarnet in Baringo held demonstrations demanding that Mr Kamama also be arrested.

Speaking to journalists in Nakuru Town on October 31, 2014, Mr Kamama, who is also the chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Security and Administration, condemned the killing of three policemen and five people in Kapedo, Turkana East, by suspected armed bandits last week.

“The killing of the police officers and innocent residents of Turkana East is barbaric and such criminal activities should not be allowed at this time and age when Kenya is a civilized society,” said Mr Kamama.

The MP, who was accompanied by three members of the county assembly from his area, Mr Thomas Minito (Churo Amaya), Mr Peter Amasile (Tangulbei/Korosi) and Mr Kibe Cheretei (Loyamoruk), said the criminals were taking the country back to the Stone Age era.

However, Mr Kamama accused police officers of torching homesteads in Chesitet and Ameyan villages while carrying out an operation to track down the bandits.

ACCUSED POLICE RESERVISTS

“It's sad that police officers are colluding with Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) operating under the cover of home guards from Turkana County to commit acts of criminality,” said Mr Kamama.

He called on Mr Kimaiyo to investigate the police officers implicated in the torching of homesteads.

“I call upon the inspector-general to take appropriate and immediate action on officers who committed the offence,” he said.

At the same time, Mr Kamama said he had made a formal complaint to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to take swift action against policemen allegedly destroying homesteads and hurting innocent residents.

“When the law enforcers and protectors become destroyers of property then we are descending into anarchy, which we should not promote at any given time.

TORCHING HOUSES

“This should be the last act of criminality by police officers because if they continue torching houses in Tiaty they are likely to repeat it elsewhere,” said a visibly agitated Mr Kamama.

The government, said the MP, should now compensate residents whose houses and properties were allegedly destroyed by the police officers.

Without categorically supporting the shoot-to-kill order by Mr Kimaiyo, Mr Kamama said that police officers should exercise maximum restraint while using firearms.

“Police officers should not use their firearms in a way that is not justifiable,” he said.