Ex-Laikipia North MP Arrested Over Ongoing Skirmishes In Laikipia

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 8- Former Laikipia North Member of Parliament Mathew Lempurkel was on Wednesday arrested at his home in Rongai, Kajiado County.

The former MP was thereafter moved to Nairobi Area DCI offices for questioning over the ongoing skirmishes in Laikipia that have seen 7 people killed in 2 weeks. Of those killed, 3 are police officers.

It is not clear what role he has played if any, but police say he is a person of interest.

Hundreds of people have been displaced in the expansive County and property destroyed, including institutions of learning.

At face value, the skirmishes are overstrained resources for livestock, but police say there is more to it than just that.

On Tuesday, Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya said some of the attackers are armed with sophisticated weapons than the police.

“While our officers are using AK 47 and G3 rifles, the bandits are using M16 and other heavy rifles which are usually used by foreign armies which come for training in Kenya,” he said. “We do not know how they get these heavy weapons.”

Authorities have already established that some are armed with M16 rifles among other sophisticated weapons.

An M16 rifle, used by the military only is a 223 caliber (5.56 millimeter) gas-operated magazine-fed rifle for semiautomatic or automatic operation.

“How such a powerful rifle got to their hands is a puzzle. It should be investigated,” Natembeya said.

Despite heavy police presence, the so-called bandits in Laikipia have been roaming freely, leaving a trail of destruction and pain.

A 46-year-old Peter Njuguna who had recently left his home fearing for his life was killed right inside the house, where he had sought refuge.

The deceased had sought refuge at his brother’s home when bandits threatened to end his life and that of his family over the weekend if they did not vacate their homes.

“He offered the over 10 attackers money and pleaded with them to spare his life but they refused and shot him dead on the chest. They also took his money,” a survivor who spoke to Shahidi News said.

The National Security Council met Monday in State House Nairobi and declared Laikipia a disturbed and a security operation area.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said an operation will be conducted at the Laikipia Nature Conservancy.

A dusk to dawn curfew was declared in the area.

Those with animals grazing in the ranches were given 48 hours to remove them.

Officials said politicians, a Judge, senior military, and police officers are among those who have illegally moved livestock into Laikipia conservancy.

All leaders including politicians, businessmen, public officers and others who have illegally moved their livestock into the conflict zone to remove the same from there within 48 hours,” said Matiang’i in a statement.

The meeting at State House was chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Matiang’i had in July visited the area and ordered the herders to move out. But they refused.

Matiang’i also announced an immediate takeover by security teams of the 80,000- acre Kilmon farm that is owned by the government and that has been a theatre of deadly clashes between armed herders from Laikipia and the neighbouring counties.

A GSU camp will be established at the parcel to create a buffer zone between the two warring sides.

The CS further ordered private ranchers and pastoralists to register agreements on access to pastures with the county government beginning next month to enable the government to enforce the pacts and arbitrate bloody disputes around their implementation.

“If you have an agreement with ranchers, that’s OK. But for the government to be able to provide security, we want such agreements recorded and the terms registered with the County Government to help resolve disputes around them,” he said.

To help pastoralists in the county ease the pressure on grazing pastures and water points, Matiang’i further announced that the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), which is under the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), will begin buying around 1,000 livestock weekly from next week in an off-take deal brokered by the Government.

Areas under government surveillance include the Laikipia Nature Conservancy owned by conservationist Kuki Gullman in Laikipia West, government-owned ranches; ADC Mutara ranch in Laikipia West and 80,000 – acre Kilmon farm, Mugie Ranch, Loisaba, and Kirimon Nature National Reserve in Laikipia North.