Nairobi, 04 March, 2024 / 11:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Religious leaders have denounced insecurity characterized by banditry attacks, inter-community clashes, and vandalism of infrastructure in counties within the Rift Valley saying the violence is “quite worrying and intriguing”.
In a statement shared with ACI Africa on Monday, March 4, the religious leaders drawn from the Catholic Diocese of Ngong, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Narok Chapter say it is “disheartening to note that this is happening yet we say the nation is peaceful.”
“The insecurity status is quite worrying and intriguing in Baringo, and Samburu Counties as well as the relapse of inter-communities clashes in Narok and Kericho Counties. We are deeply concerned since the violence has persisted and is continuing despite the security interventions that have been put in place in the areas,” they say.
The insecurity “is so bad to the extent that an elected leader can be killed by bandits in a region under government security operations since February 2023,” they say in reference to the killing of Paul Leshimpiro, the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Angata Nanyekie, Samburu county, was shot dead by bandits while heading home on February 25.
They say the rampant criminal activities in the counties “have an irreversible impact on Kenyans; unnecessary loss of innocent lives, disruption of livelihoods, displacement and migration of residents, loss of livestock, and disruption of education of our children.”
