Nadome residents cry over 'State neglect'

Residents of Nadome along the border of Baringo and Turkana counties have decried alleged neglect by the Government, which they say has led to increased violence among the pastoral communities.

They say there is less government in the semi-arid region.

Jackson Kalekeno, a resident, said the conflicts between Pokot and Turkana communities were as a result of ignorance and underdevelopment in the area.

"I can neither blame the Pokot nor Turkana communities for the constant violence. The challenge is that these people have no resources, including learning infrastructure, they are ignorant and can do anything," he said.

He said there were just a few learning institutions in the region, while resources such as water points are either too far or inaccessible.

Tegla Lorupe, a renowned athlete and peace ambassador, said national leaders have called for a military operation in the area without assessing the situation on the ground.

Not right

Ms Lorupe, who toured the region on a peace fostering mission under the aegis of Tegla Lorupe Peace Foundation (TLPF), challenged the Government to ensure the people have access to resources.

She said it was not right to summon legislators from the region before assessing the real situation on the ground.

The former international athlete urged the Government to provide basic amenities to the victims of the Nadome massacre.

She also called on the Government to take urgent measures to curb the escalating wave of crime among the pastoralist communities in the North Rift.

The former marathoner expressed concern over the neglect of the residents who are living under harsh conditions.

"I feel sorry when I see innocent children sleeping in the open and there is nobody to take care of them as their mothers were slaughtered like animals. Who is going to take care of them?" posed Lorupe.

Loroupe urged the residents of Baringo to live peacefully with their neighbours and avoid further loss of lives due to cattle raids as well as boundary disputes.

"We need to live with our neighbours from Turkana. They are human beings like us and we are all Kenyans," she said.

Miriam Chepkech, another resident, regretted the Government was making little to help the locals cope with the inadequate resources and sustain their livelihoods.

Ms Chepkech said women trek over 12 kilometres to fetch water and risked contracting water-borne diseases because the water is not clean.

A Red Cross truck transporting relief food to survivors of the Nadome massacre, where more than 50 people were killed, were stuck in the mud at Nginyang for a whole day on Thursday.