Ann Koome
Meru leaders have united to demand an intensified multi-agency security in Samburu County, urging the national government to ignore calls from Samburu politicians to halt the crackdown.
The decision came following a high-profile consultative meeting between Meru Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia, Senator Kathuri Murungi, regional Members of Parliament (MPs), and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) alongside Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and the National Police Service command.
The leaders issued a joint stance strongly defending the continuous, intelligence-led security sweep designed to flush out notorious cattle rustlers and armed bandits operating from hotspots such as Sereolipi and Lantaana in Samburu East.
To complement the state’s security agenda, Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia’s administration announced immediate logistical interventions, including the opening up of critical security roads along Meru’s Northern grazing areas and the Buuri Zone. This infrastructure will allow for faster response times by security forces and better coordination with newly deployed National Police Reservists (NPRs).
The crackdown was launched after a sharp escalation of cross-border violence, including a devastating raid in Gotu (Isiolo County) that left two police officers, a police reservist, and two civilians dead, with their firearms stolen.
For Meru leaders, the ongoing security operation is a long-overdue response to a prolonged crisis. They justified their hardline stance by detailing the immense suffering their constituents have endured over the past five years, losing an estimated 300 human lives and over 20,000 head of cattle to relentless cross-border bandit attacks.
The operation has ignited a major political rift between neighboring counties. While Meru and Isiolo leaders advocate for a decisive finish, Samburu leaders including Governor Lati Lelelit and Senator Steve Lelegwe have forcefully demanded the immediate withdrawal and suspension of the multi-agency troops.
Samburu representatives cite severe collateral damage, alleging that ground troops and air sweeps have mistakenly shot and killed hundreds of community livestock and displaced thousands of innocent families without humanitarian aid.
