Kitui East Member of Parliament, Mbai Nimrod Mbithuka, County Commissioner Erastus Mbui and area MCAs have started an operation to flush out camel herders within the county.
The operation comes just a few days after residents complained about bandits breaking into their homes.
According to the County Commissioner, the operation to drive out the camel herders started in Kitui South.
He added that police officers will be leading the camels out of Kitui County.
Recently, the Kitui South MP, Rachael Nyamai Kaki, reported that two were killed by bandits, making the total of those killed in Mutha ward 48 up to date.
She emphasized that for the previous six months, herders have been a security danger to the people.
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The lawmaker claimed that in addition to forcibly grazing on nearby fields, they also rape women and young girls.
However, the operation comes amid Aden Duale’s utterance before the National Assembly Committee that his net worth is 851million including 231 camels who are in Kitui.
“My net worth is 851 million Kenya Shillings including the assets I own; goods, ships and camels. I had to go and value my 231 camels somewhere in Kitui County,” he informed the National Assembly Committee.
In response to Duale’s statement, the lawmaker, Nimrod Mbai, said the Defence CS nominee will have to take his camel out of Kitui as soon as possible.
“We have given Hon Aden Duale 5 days to get his camels out of Kitui county. His herders are killing our people in cold blood. We don’t care if he is a minister of defence or Putin. He confessed that he has over 200 camels in Kitui. Enough is enough,” he stated through his Twitter handle.
An identical case to Kitui’s was lodged by Garashi Ward residents in Magarini Sub-County, Kilifi County, after complaining that camels, goats, and cattle were damaging their crops.
Several locals alleged that crops were being ruined while no appropriate action was taken.
Despite the concerns made by the residents, it has been stated that the local provincial administration, led by Chief Ndhundi Chula Ndhundi, crossed its fingers, and hoped everything would work without any necessary action.
Recently, several people expressed outrage after cows that were allegedly owned by the nomadic pastoralists who had been reported to have camped in the area for the previous month destroyed their maize crops.
“We tried to approach the administration but in vain. Now the animals have dominated our area, trespassing on our farms and destroying our crops. My question is, for how long shall we endure this pain?”
“Let there be a necessary action that will be fastened to ensure our community lives in peace,” a resident who seeks anonymity reported to Switch Media.
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