No compensation for livestock killed during Samburu operation, Murkomen says

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7 – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ruled out compensation for livestock killed during a recent security operation in Samburu, saying the government currently has no legal or policy framework allowing the National Police Service to compensate victims of crime.

Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Wednesday, Murkomen said compensating livestock owners would be difficult under the existing criminal justice system.

“Unfortunately, from the perspective of the criminal justice system, there is no legal policy framework for carrying out that compensation,” he said.

Murkomen was responding to questions over the killing of hundreds of livestock in Samburu during a security operation, with affected families and local leaders demanding compensation.

The issue has generated public anger, with Samburu leaders seeking compensation for families whose animals were killed during the operation. National Assembly had summoned Murkomen and Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident. 

Murkomen, however, cautioned against giving a definitive figure on the number of animals killed before investigations are completed.

He said an initial police report indicated that 237 livestock had been reported killed, while other figures circulating publicly ranged from 700 to more than 1,000.

“The first report indicated 237. I have seen other numbers, 800, 700, 1,000 or something. Everybody is giving a number that they wish,” he said.

The CS said he had also seen photographs purportedly showing dead livestock but questioned their authenticity, insisting that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations must establish the exact number of animals killed, who shot them and the circumstances under which the shooting occurred.

He said officers found to have acted unlawfully would face disciplinary action, while civilians found culpable would also be subjected to the law.

Murkomen said the government had a duty to protect property, including livestock, but maintained that the circumstances surrounding the deaths must first be established.

“I sympathise with loss of property. Whether stolen or shot using a firearm, all of it is a loss,” he said.

Fuelling banditry

Murkomen linked the persistent insecurity in Samburu, Isiolo, Turkana and other parts of northern Kenya to historical marginalisation and lack of development, arguing that security operations alone would not resolve the problem.

He said the government should invest heavily in roads and other infrastructure to open up remote areas and integrate communities into the national economy.

“In my personal opinion, I believe the cause of banditry is marginalisation. Underdevelopment is a sustaining factor to banditry,” he said. 

Murkomen proposed opening up routes including Jemalingot-Kapedo-Lokichar, Tangulbei-Churo-Amaya, Maralal-Baragoi-North Horr and Isiolo-Wamba through to Baragoi and Parsaloi.

He argued that better roads would improve access to security services while allowing communities to trade, access water and interact more easily.

The CS also proposed the construction of dams and other infrastructure to ease competition over pasture and water, which he said contributes to conflict among pastoralist communities.

He said the government could substantially reduce spending on repeated security operations if it invested a portion of the resources allocated to security in long-term development projects.

“If you picked Sh20 billion and spread it over five years to do infrastructure in that region, you don’t need to put more money into IG to do security operations,” he said.

Murkomen contrasted the situation in northern Kenya with developed towns such as Eldoret and Kitale, arguing that the absence of comparable banditry in those areas demonstrated the role of development in promoting security.

“Why are there no bandits in Eldoret or Kitale? Because of development,” he said.

He urged the government to develop a five- to 10-year plan to open up the region rather than relying on repeated security operations.

The Interior CS also rejected the argument that cattle rustling was merely a traditional cultural practice, saying the vice had evolved into organised criminal activity involving networks of thieves, buyers, informers and suppliers of firearms and ammunition.

He said intelligence-led operations had exposed networks linking livestock thieves with buyers and other criminal actors.

Murkomen said stolen animals could be moved across county boundaries with assistance from collaborators who provide information on the location of livestock and the absence of security.

“This is no longer the old cultural practice we used to say people are stealing because of a culture. Banditry has become organised crime,” he said.

He said authorities would continue targeting not only the individuals stealing livestock but also those buying stolen animals, supplying firearms and providing intelligence to criminal groups.

NPR recruitment reforms

Murkomen also outlined changes being introduced in the recruitment and management of National Police Reservists (NPRs), following concerns that the programme had previously been influenced by local political interests.

He said NPR recruitment would now be conducted through public barazas, allowing communities to identify suitable candidates before they undergo security vetting.

The reservists would also receive centralised training, uniforms and direct supervision by officers commanding police stations or police posts.

Murkomen said the government was working to improve their stipends and enrol them in the Social Health Authority from January.

He added that a policy paper on the NPR programme had been finalised and would be presented to the Cabinet after further technical review.

The CS maintained that security operations in banditry-prone areas would continue, but said long-term investment in infrastructure was necessary to prevent the cycle of insecurity from recurring.