MP Alois Lentoimaga accused of inciting violence in Samburu North

Samburu North MP Alois Lentoimaga. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The MP attributed an increased cattle rustling in his constituency to failure by government to recover livestock that are usually stolen by cattle rustlers and return them to owners, apprehend and charge suspects before court.

Samburu North MP Alois Lentoimaga is under investigations over claims of incitement to violence and cattle rustling in his constituency.

Mr Lentoimaga  was on Monday grilled at the directorate of criminal investigations in Maralal town for more than six hours.

RAIDS

Samburu County Criminal Investigations Officer Kiberenge Seroney on Tuesday said other people, whose names he did not mention, would be summoned for questioning.

“He has given us his position, we shall continue summoning others as well so that we get to know what are the genesis of these raids in Samburu North,” he said, adding that the police were analysing the MP’s statements first.

Addressing journalists outside Maralal Police Station on Monday evening, Mr Lentoimaga denied the allegations against him.

“I categorically deny all these serious allegations, I am an elected leader and a lawmaker for this country and I have served for more than 30 years as an administrator in public service, so I understand the rule of law,” he said.

The MP attributed an increased cattle rustling in his constituency to failure by government to recover livestock that are usually stolen by cattle rustlers and return them to owners, apprehend and charge suspects before court.

He added that failure by government to recover guns that were stolen from police officers by cattle rustlers as well as cartels who benefit from stolen livestock have greatly contributed to cattle raid incidents.

Many people including a police officers have died as many livestock were lost in different cattle raid attacks in Samburu North this year because of the influx of firearms in the arms of unlicensed civilians.

The attacks are happening in the wake of the ongoing government disarmament exercise that seeks to repossess all firearms in the hands of civilians including Kenya Police Reservists.

Two GSU officers escorting Lorries ferrying livestock from Merile to Isiolo were last week attacked by armed bandits who shot them.

The officers were admitted at the Kiirua mission hospital in Samburu East.