Was Nadome attack politically motivated?

Youths keep guard at Silale near Nadome in Baringo County on Tuesday after raiders attacked the area, killing almost 70 people.

A few days ago, Kenyans were shocked and taken aback by the media revelations that dozens of villagers had been killed in the latest incident of banditry attacks. The initial reports indicated that around 400 heavily armed bandits had raided Nadome and other villages located along the Pokot and Turkana border, killed unknown number of people and stole hundreds of cattle. Hours later, the journalists, who flew to the battlefields, would file stories of how some of the victims met their deaths. The scribes would also talk about the challenges they encountered before they accessed the area. Apart from sweltering heat, they endured tough terrain to get to the scene of the incident.

But as it would emerge, the government and the media would not agree on exact number of the casualties.  While the state maintained that only 16 persons lost their lives, the media put the death toll at 54. The security forces also vehemently denied reports that they did not respond to the distress calls immediately after being informed that the attackers had invaded the villages.

It is worth to note that the deadly attack came in the wake of the high profile visits by the US secretary of state John Kerry and former US President Bill Clinton, raising the question. Was the attack politically motivated? Was it an attempt to cast President Uhuru and his deputy in bad light? Is someone hell bent to shed the blood of poor innocent Kenyans and use that as a campaign platform to unseat the duo in 2017 polls?   

Apart from security cooperation, the talks between Kerry and his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta, focused on the preparations to receive and host the US President Barrack Obama who is due to visit Kenya in July.  Notably, the whole world will keenly watch Obama’s visit as it will open a new chapter in the history of our country. Obama will be the first sitting head of state of the most powerful nation in the world to visit Kenya.

 Notably, prior to making the announcement sometime last year that he will visit the land of his father before he concluded his last term in office, the local top opposition leaders kept on telling their supporters that there was no way Obama would visit Kenya. Obama cannot visit a country where the top leadership had been indicted by the International Criminal Court [ICC].

In light of this, some political forces could be out to use all means at their disposal to sabotage the visit. This is because if Obama finally comes, their political careers would suffer a serious and devastating blow. Worse still, they know how embarrassing it would be if they will not be given a chance to have a chat with him or even take a photo with him.

Notably, despite the charges, Hon Uhuru and his deputy Ruto were overwhelmingly elected to succeed the outgoing President Mwai Kibaki in the March 4, 2013 general election. The case facing Uhuru has since been terminated after the Trial Chamber ruled in favor of an application filed by the prosecutor to withdraw the charges.

Another disturbing media report indicated that in one of the village, the bandits only targeted and killed women and children. They did not steal any animals. This is yet another clear indication that a political angle could not be ruled out in the killings.

Notably, this is not the first time that the recurring cases of cattle rustling pitting the communities residing in the North Rift have been reported. For Pokot, Turkana and Samburu, stealing animals through staging raids and counter raids have remained a way of life for as long as one can remember. The founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and his successors Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki tried to fight the menace but all in vain.

One of the reasons why it is difficult to win the war is because of the politics involved and the fact that cattle rustling have over years become a lucrative business. It is said most of the politicians and unscrupulous businesses from the region have thrived in the crime to make their fortunes. They would recruit the morans to stage the raids and steal herds of cattle, then buy them cheaply and later mint millions of shillings through selling them at slaughter houses, mainly those located in Nairobi and Mombasa. 

Besides, the politicians would take advantage of retrogressive cultural practices, ignorance and lack of education among the youthful morans and use them to further their selfish political ends. Therefore, it is not surprising if it turns out that some political actors are using them to further the course of those vying for the national seats, and particularly the Presidency.  

Lack of economic empowerment, rivalry over the boundaries and access to equalization fund, competition for pasture and watering points for the animals have been cited as other causes of the problem.

In its manifesto, the Jubilee government promised to address and deal with this problem once and for all. For now, I have no reason to doubt the government’s commitment to walk the talk. However, I would call upon all Kenyans and particularly those hailing from the affected communities to join efforts by state to restore peace and stability.

Finally, I pray God to wipe the tears and heal the hearts of the families of those, who lost their loved ones during the attack, and rest the souls of departed in eternal life. I also wish those injured and hospitalized a quick recovery.