Uhuru orders compensation for animals shot by police

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered for the compensation of Samburu herders whose animals were shot dead by security officers in Laikipia County.

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri admitted the government made a mistake after police shot dead thousands of animals and injured some of the herders and the President has ordered that they be compensated.

He was addressing a crowd at Baragoi and Suguta Marmar on Saturday evening.

The animals were shot dead by police and the military during an operation to flash out illegal grazers in private ranches in Laikipia West in March this year.

AUGUST 8 ELECTIONS

Mr Kenyatta has already ordered Mr Kiunjuri and his Agriculture counterpart Willy Bett to form a committee that will see all those affected are compensated before August 8 elections.

The two are the co-chairs while Livestock Permanent Secretary Richard Lesiyampe is the technical chair.

Others who are in the committee are Samburu Governor Moses Kasaine, Samburu West MP Lati Lelelit and nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda.

Others from Laikipia are nominated MP Sarah Korere and Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu.

Elders from both counties and officers from the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) too have been incorporated in the committee that has already started its fact-finding mission.

POLITICALLY INFLUENCED

“The committee will carry out a forensic audit of what really happened and is expected to table its findings within a period of 10 days,” said Dr Lesiyampe adding that their initial findings suggest property was maliciously destroyed.

He also said they will verify whether arrests made by police were genuine or were politically influenced.

Said Mr Kiunjuri: “We agree we did a mistake but people should know security officers who were deployed there come from all tribes of this country so the blame should not be squarely dropped on the President.”

According to both Mr Lesiyampe and Mr Kiunjuri, all those who were wounded and their property destroyed will be compensated.

Samburu Governor Moses Kasaine however said over 300 people, majority from his county, were affected.

SH40,000

About 1,500 cattle and 50,000 goats and sheep were shot dead.

Mr Kasaine said they have proposed that each cattle killed be compensated at a rate of Sh40,000 each while a goat and sheep Sh5,000 each.

However, they have not agreed on the much they will pay herders that were injured.

Mr Kiunjuri said the committee must clear with the matter in two weeks.

The Committee will also propose lasting solution to such conflicts.

ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE

Already, according to Mr Lesiyampe, a new manager for Mutara ADC has been appointed to review existing leases for the 63,000 acre piece of land.

The farm located in Laikipia, he said, will be used to for grazing during the dry spells by herders from the neighbouring counties in an aim to avert such calamity from recurring.

Before, he said, there was a cordial relationship between the pastoralists and ranchers where they were paying Sh200 for every cow that graze on their land on a monthly basis.

Mr John Lelaono is expected to establish a schedule on how pastoralists will be taking their animals in the farm during the drought season.

The farm’s mandate is to improve breeds and for research purposes but according to Mr Lesiyampe, the new boss is expected to re-establish and improve the ranch’s agro-economy.

MOST AFFECTED

The two however did not come out clear on whether ranchers whose property was destroyed and also injured would be compensated as well.

“The government will continue to guarantee rights and sanity of title deeds and no one will be allowed to infringe other people’s rights,” noted Mr Lesiyampe.

The most affected ranches include Laikipia Nature and Conservancy, Mugie, Sossian and Suyian, where many animals were shot dead by the officers.

The leaders were speaking in Samburu County where they distributed food as they campaigned for re-election of President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.