North Rift governors want homegrown security bosses

Governors from banditry-prone counties in the North Rift want security bosses to be drawn from the region, saying they could tackle security matters effectively.

West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo and his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart Alex Tolgos on Tuesday asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to localise the deployment of security managers in four Rift Valley counties which have over the years been battling perennial insecurity.

According to the governors, county commissioners and their assistants, county police commanders and Officers Commanding Police Divisions (OCPDs), should be from the respective regions they are deployed, if peace and stability are to be realised in West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Turkana and Samburu counties.

“Give us a Pokot county commissioner and give Elgeyo Marakwet a county commissioner from their locality. Similarly, deploy a Turkana County commissioner to Turkana, a Tugen county commissioner to Baringo County, and deploy a Samburu administrator to Samburu County,” Prof Lonyangapuo said.

He said such a move will enhance the officers' efficiency, integrity and accountability, and consequently bring insecurity to an end in Kerio Valley - which has been ravaged by incessant insecurity challenges over the years.

The county boss asked President Kenyatta to consider the proposal saying it has been tested and proven elsewhere.

“Uganda adopted this practice - especially in the Karamojong community - and it worked perfectly,” he added.

The two governors were speaking at Our Lady of Queen of Peace Kapsait Catholic Church in Marakwet West Sub-County on Tuesday during the Annual New Year peace prayers.

Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and area MP William Kisang attended the prayers.

Eldoret Catholic Diocese Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Maurice Crowley, and a host of MCAs, elders, and members of the clergy drawn from the two counties were also present.

Mr Tolgos asked President Kenyatta to consider piloting the proposal in the four counties this year, arguing it would be a lasting solution to the perennial conflict that has troubled the region since independence.

Mr Murkomen urged the border communities to take advantage of Jubilee government's development projects such as the tarmacked roads and the last mile electricity connection to exploit the potential of the region.

Bishop Crowley asked the communities to always embrace peace for the interest of their social economic stability.

‘There has never been any successful intervention from any government since Kenya got independence that managed to completely stamp out insecurity in Kerio Valley, and this is why we wish this Proposal is tried," Mr Tolgos said.

Related Stories