West Pokot leaders demand withdrawal of KDF from Kapedo, threaten to sue at ICC

KAPENGURIA: Pokot leaders on Sunday called for immediate withdrawal of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from Kapedo at the Turkana Baringo counties border terming the security operation as 'illegal and biased'.

The leaders said the deployment of KDF officers had not been approved by the National Assembly and their activities at Tiaty are illegal and meant to harass innocent members of the Pokot community.

Addressing the media at a press conference in Kapenguria, the leaders threatened to raise the military operation issue with the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.

Governor Simon Kachapin who led other leaders condemned the deployment of KDF soldiers whom they accused of torturing and displacing innocent Kenyans.

The leaders who included MPs David Pkosing (Pokot South) and Mark Lomunokol (Kacheliba) and 30 Members of County Assembly (MCAs) demanded a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta to iron out the Kapedo issue before it spills over.

But the leaders said they will meet the president only after the operation is stopped and KDF soldiers withdrawn from the conflict region claiming the officers had caused a trail of damages.

"We are demanding for immediate withdrawal of KDF soldiers from Kapedo. Their presence and operations are illegal because their deployment was not sanctioned by the national assembly," said Pkosing.

He termed the operation as barbaric, inhuman and uncalled for adding that several innocent people among them an expectant woman and a student have been assaulted and inflicted with injuries.

"How can an expectant woman engage in war and kill police officers? It is shameful for the officers to brutally attack such vulnerable person who has since miscarried," added Pkosing.

The leaders condemned the government for deploying military officers citing that such move should only be done as a last resort after other ways have been exhausted.

"The withdrawal of the soldiers will be our terms of reference for meeting with the president because we are not happy seeing our people punished wholesomely and their properties looted and damaged," said Kachapin.

The leaders accused the government for failure to curb insecurity and check on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons from the neighbouring countries responsible for the rising crime in the country.

They urged the president to borrow leaf from Uganda where pastoral communities have been provided with alternative livelihoods and which has assisted to tame cattle rustling.

Failure by the government to withdraw the military, the leaders said they will be forced to seek the intervention of international bodies like ICC.

"The moment we establish the level of damage, we will take tough stand even moving to the ICC to seek justice," vowed Lomukol.

They vowed not to attend any national function in the county until the government withdraws the military and hold a meeting with community leaders.

On Saturday, the leaders boycotted a peace meeting graced by the Deputy President, William Ruto to express their unhappiness over the ongoing military operations.