Women say cattle rustling menace affecting region's development

Women from the pastoralist communities have appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, to help in tackling cattle rustling, saying it was the main cause of underdevelopment.

The women, from Baringo, West Pokot and Turkana counties, said that failure by political leaders to curb cattle rustling in the pastoralist regions had made them to take up the initiative themselves.

The women were speaking during a peace training seminar organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) known as Creators of Peace Cycle.

During the seminar, which was held in Marigat, Baringo County, over the weekend, they shared the experiences they go through and sought to find lasting solutions.

This was after research carried out by the NGO showed that children and women were the ones mostly affected by cattle rustling.

LIVES, PROPERTY LOST

Mrs Margaret Lenapunya, a member of the Ilchamus community, said that over the years, members of her community had been killed and livestock and property lost through cattle rustling.

This, she said, made many members of the community remain in abject poverty.

“We have come together through the training to get ways of reaching out to our respective communities to sensitise them to stop the vice, as it is retrogressive,” said Mrs Lenapunya.

They accused politicians from the region of lack of goodwill in fighting cattle rustling as they did not attend security meetings whenever the community held them.

“Leaders from the affected communities have never shown unity of purpose and therefore their communities remain confused on matters of security,” She added.

Ms Anne Njeri, a trainer from Creators of Peace Cycle, said the NGO started training women through the Initiative for Change.

“Women have vowed to take charge in the fight against cattle rustling as the political leaders have shied away from it,” said Ms Njeri.