Laikipia crisis result of political, social and economic challenges

Police officers patrolling Sosian Ranch in Laikipia County. The officers were deployed in the area following the killing of the ranch co-owner Mr Tristan Voorspuy who was shot dead by invaders. PHOTO | STEVE NJUGUNA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The confrontation between agriculturalists and pastoralists has been around for many, many years.
  • The vast majority of those affected by the Laikipia and Baringo banditry and violence are those agriculturalists who are not the Wazungu.
  • There are some people who misusing this lethal social cocktail for cheap political expediency.

The attention and publicity that the Laikipia violence and land invasions have been generating should be put in the broader context of the political, social and economic challenges facing the country.

That is why it is important to look at other areas such as Baringo and Isiolo, where there is also conflict. The country has some major resource constraints. Around three quarters of the country is desert, arid and semi-arid which makes much of this land unsuitable for crop rotation.

Conversely a lot of this land is used for various degrees of grazing and in adverse weather conditions, such as at present, the migration and pressure from the former to the latter two intensifies.

A relatively small slither of Kenya is regarded as good agricultural land. About 10 per cent is high potential and another 10 per cent is medium potential land.

In tandem with this is the increased population over the years and the resultant increased human and animal pressure on these constrained and overburdened resources.

WORST DROUGHT

The pressure on the less arid resources becomes intense when there is a shortfall of rain over an extended period as is the case now.

Reports vary but this could well turn out to be the worst drought in a decade.

For the urban dweller a stark reminder of the drought is the many Maasai cattle roaming in and around Nairobi.

So to embellish the story that this is an issue of a few white settlers on vast areas of land versus pastoralists is a simplistic one.

That is a factor but not one that should be viewed out of proportion.

The confrontation between agriculturalists and pastoralists has been around for many, many years. It becomes more acute as the population pressures increase and when there are adverse weather conditions to do with the dearth of rainfall. The two in tandem are a lethal combination.

It has arguably been intensified by the movement of a number of agriculturalists to farm on the less productive land. Over the years there has been a steady migration of people especially from the Mount Kenya region.

CLEAR BOUNDARIES

In a number of cases it could be argued this less productive land was largely the preserve of the pastoralists in the past even if there were no clear set boundaries.

The vast majority of those affected by the Laikipia and Baringo banditry and violence are those agriculturalists who are not the Wazungu.

It is not necessarily all pastoralists per se who are involved in the violence but the Pokot appear to be taking a fair chunk of the current blame.

In these very tight conditions it is not difficult to agitate and fan discord often for politically opportunistic reasons and this is what we are witnessing at present.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that this year is an election year. There are some people who misusing this lethal social cocktail for cheap political expediency.

So where do we go from here? It is a difficult dilemma especially when there is a shortage of resources all round. One frequent observation and comment is that the poorly equipped National Police Service is no match for the AK-rifle wielding thugs.

RESTORE ORDER

The answer on the law and order front is to send in well trained and disciplined paramilitary as a back up to the police.

We have a situation where the thugs are often well armed. The government has an overriding obligation to restore law and order to these areas in a firm, but civilized, manner.

With the technology that there is available it is not rocket science to pinpoint the places where these people are holed up.

Apprehending and disarming them and subjecting them to the rule of law of the land is a primary obligation of this government and its administration.

Beyond that we are looking at more long term solutions to do with alleviating and addressing these pressures. This is a major challenge but one that must be faced in the longer term.

A much more productive use of resources especially when the pressure is intense is one.

Whether land appropriation and distribution is another is an open question and a contentious one at that.


Robert Shaw is a public policy and economic [email protected]