The thorny issue of cattle rustling and banditry, which for years has frustrated efforts to foster peaceful co-existence and economic development in Baringo county, might soon become a thing of the past if an ambitious project mooted by the Kenya Anti-Cattle Rustling Programme takes root.
The programme, which advocates for the establishment of modern community group ranches in 18 counties affected by the menace, believes that, loss of lives, livestock and property and displacement of families would be avoided if only political leaders and communities accepted to promote and embrace a friendly method of land use and ownership.
The programme calls for the establishment of group ranches in Baringo North, Baringo South and Tiaty, where each of the sub-counties would be required to donate 900,000-acre land for that purpose. Under the system, the animals are put in one group ranch, thus minimising disputes and inter-clan clashes among the ever-warring Tugen, Pokot and Ilchamus communities.
The programme’s CEO James Kandagor said if Baringo County Assembly legalises the establishment of the ranches, his organisation will embark on a mission convincing the pastoralist communities and sensitise them on the benefits.
Addressing county leaders in Marigat on Wednesday, Kendagor said the programme has partnered with several international funding agencies to mobilise adequate resources to last the initiative for 11 years. Before the ranches are started, Kandagor said the organisation will conduct registration of all animals as well as the owner for efficient data storage.
The animals will then be injected with a tracking chip. “The ultimate objective of group ranches is to put all livestock in one ranch for easy management and security and eradication of mortalities related to livestock conflicts.
This system also ensures maximum land use and tenure for livestock development among other purposes,” he stated. Kandagor said the programme will teach communities living near the ranches importance of the new system and the need to embrace it.
“We are also going to fence the ranches with thick, tall stone walls.” The CEO said the Belgium government has pledged to finance the construction of 20 water dams in each of the three sub-counties to help solve the perennial water problem.
Water from the dams will also be used to irrigate grass planted within the ranches to ensure adequate pasture for the animal. During the meeting funded by Regional Pastoral Livelihoods Resilience Programme, leaders pledged to support the programme to the rustling menace, which has cost the region development.
MCAs unanimously endorsed the project promised to formulate a bill to facilitate the establishment of group ranches. County Speaker William Kamket lauded the initiative, saying said any effort seeking to end banditry should be accorded the necessary support.
“When Kandagor visited my office for the first time I literary dismissed his proposal. I thought he was just a masquerader, a joke. But I have come to believe what he is preaching. Let us all give him a chance,” Kamket told leaders. Saying he has personally suffered because of cattle rustling, the Speaker maintained that there was no alternative to peaceful co-existence.
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