A section of Samburu leaders has accused security agencies of a slow response to the recent banditry attacks in the area.

This comes hours after six people were shot dead and eight others injured in a cattle rustling conflict in Baragoi, Samburu County.

Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, Ernest Nadome, the chairperson of the Turkana Professionals Association, called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to meet stakeholders and find a lasting solution to the recurrent clashes in the North Rift region.

“We urgently call upon CS Kipchumba Murkomen to convene a roundtable meeting with key stakeholders, including professionals from the two antagonising communities, to address the root causes of the recurring tribal clashes and develop lasting solutions to end this menace,” Nadome stated.

“It is deeply disturbing that, despite the presence of multiple security installations in the region—including the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), GSU camps, police posts, a military camp, and NPR bases—the response from these agencies was alarmingly inadequate. The sluggish and ineffective action from these security organs raises grave concerns about their commitment to their constitutional duty to protect lives and property. The continued failure of the national government to fortify security in these conflict-prone areas has created a fertile breeding ground for terror, lawlessness, and impunity,” he added.

Nadome also criticised the media for what he termed as a “misrepresentation of facts.”

He stated that 440 camels and 46 donkeys were involved in the conflict, contrary to earlier reports of 700 animals.

In December last year, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration (MINA) revealed that cases of livestock theft had decreased significantly, with the number of stolen animals dropping from 63,054 to 23,668 since the launch of Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift in February 2023.

However, reports of new cases started emerging in January.