CATTLE RUSTLING

NOT WEST POKOT ALONE: CATTLE RUSTLING IS RAMPANT IN OTHER AREAS

By Maritim Kipngetich

FILE: GSU officers returning stolen cattle. The vice is rampant in the South Rift.

Cattle rustling may be a legend to people living in urban centres, but it is a reality or rather experienced by the guys who live in rural areas of Kenya. It is always heard of among the communities like the Pokot, the Maasai , the Kalenjin, the Samburu and some other Nilotic communities living in the former Rift Valley province.

The vice is more pronounced in areas like the West Pokot since the culprits normally run away with more than a thousand herd of cattle. It is important to note that there are unmasked areas where the cultural practice of cattle rustling is widespread. Among the areas include several small villages found within Bomet County especially in Sotik constituency where Kipsigis middle-aged men normally steal cattle from the Kisii community living in Burabu, Chebilat and other villages in Nyamira County. Sotik constituency is in the boundary of Nyamira and Bomet Counties and the cattle thieves are emanating from the former Ndanai division. Kipsingei village is notoriously known for cattle rustling. Several people have been killed in that village by the Kisii people, but the remaining cattle rustlers are still perpetuating the outdated cultural practice.

It has taken the intervention of several leaders found within the area, but no tangible results have been felt. There have been several warnings from D.Os and chiefs found within the area including the area MP who is also the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, but those warnings felt on deaf ears.

About two weeks ago, Sotik District Commissioner ( D.C) called a meeting at Kipsingei village. The old men, the old women, the youth and the young children were among the attendance. Several village leaders and the respected guys in the community like motirenik  (those who initiate young boys to adulthood) were given chance to speak.

There was a turn of events when the D.C stood to speak. He had no much to share with the locals. He started by asking the old women to stand and move in front. The next on stage were middle-aged men who were instructed to stand behind the old women. He then called the old men and instructed them to stand in front of the old women. The young children ,who were not many in number, were never asked to stand.

The arrangement of the programme was against the Kalenjin customs and the old men and old women were mesmerized. They had nothing to do, but to adhere to the instruction of the D.C who claimed to have done something similar to that in several villages across the Kalenjin land. Though the D.C is a Lamu-born man in his 50s, he knows the cultural practices of the Kalenjin community.

The arrangement of women to appear in front before men during public barazas ,is a taboo in the Kalenjin community. The intention of the D.C was to show that what was to take place was a curse meant to discourage the cattle rustlers from stealing cattle from the Kisii community.

Everyone who stood in front of the meeting scene was told to raise the hand and say “no more cattle rustling in Kipsingei”. That taking of oath went on for about five minutes and everyone was asked to sit.

The list containing the names of the suspected cattle rustlers was read out and the D.C warned them to stop doing so, so that they could avoid catastrophic consequences. The suspects were asked to clear their names at chief’s office if they would want to be spared.

FILE: A woman crying after her cattle were stolen. Kisii community will soon be left with no cattle.

Cattle’s rustling is still rampant in some other parts of former Rift Valley province and the government including the media should not focus only on few areas: for instance West Pokot. Some Kipsigis in Sotik constituency steal approximately 1000 herd of cattle every three months! This is an amazing number and if nothing will be done then the Kisii communities living in the border of Bomet and Nyamira counties will soon be left with no cattle.