Dictator Uhuru Kenyatta Threatens Terror Victims

[Omollo]

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The people of this area have been victims of violence from bandits and the so-called "security Forces"for decades. Civil servants sent to administer the place over the years have turned their guns on the locals robbing them of their cattle and transporting the same in hughe trailers to markets in Nairobi. Now Uhuru comes here and accuses the victims of violence of perpetuating the violence. He promises collective punishment!

If he has evidence of wrong doing by persons or a person, why not address him or her, if he is too drunk to let the Police and DPP do their work? He is speaking down to the Pokot and Turkana like the colonial governor he is. When is the last time he appointed anybody form that area to a government job? The man who has the record for focusing on appointing his tribesmen to senior jobs in government to the exclusion of other tribes stands before the World to declare he is not a tribalist!

Speaking when he led a contingent of top security personnel in touring Kapedo, President Kenyatta also ordered that firearms and uniforms belonging to the slain officers be surrendered.

http://www.nation.co.ke/counties/President-Uhuru-Kenyatta-Kapedo-Attack/-/1107872/2508314/-/3h1s7f/-/index.html

[RV Pundit]

This is tough cookie for Uhuru who is used to empty threats. Pokots are not going to be beaten easily. Mzungu failed. Kenyatta failed.Moi failed.Kibaki failed. And Uhuru is set to fail. Moi organized disbarment every yr but nothing doing.

Only Prof Lonyangupuo seem to understands what the problem really is...more education..less violence.

I am told normally unschooled boys (14-20) within a location organize those raids..anything upto 1,000 men all armed who walks to turkana, saburu or baringo..seize a whole village...shooting indiscriminately...and drive all the cows in that village...split them each btw themselves (about 2-3 cows per man)..that mean cops are just sitting ducks..if they DARE make that mistake. Normally cops do not dare provide any resistance...it mostly the KPR (reservist) who try to resist.

Cops have a MOU with raiders to stay clear of each other routes.

KDF have been there but they also seem to have failed.

Ensure all turkanas and pokots are forced to go to school...something other than violence those people are so used to.

[Omollo]

In addition, improving infrastructure and putting real money in their hands through employment (following education) would help.

A change of lifestyle is also possible. These people can be persuaded to go in to ranching. They can be financed to build modern structures. There is already enough water underground so its easy to bring it above ground and remove the excuse of drought.

[MOON Ki]

So, Uhuru issues Stern Warning No. 73.   A couple of years ago or so, some 40 cops were slaughtered in Baragoi.    After some tough talk, the matter was quickly forgotten.    Not surprisingly, the same sort of thing has happened again.

Early last year, Uhuru gave criminals 2 weeks to hand over illegal weapons.     Nothing happened.   A couple of months later, he gave them another warning and another deadline.   "And this time I mean it!".   Again nothing happened.  So, what's his plan now?   A repeat of KDF in Mt. Elgon and Wagalla?

These "bandit-prone" areas have some basic problems that have been around for a very long time and which have made them what they are.   Until the government gets serious about addressing those problems, the areas will continue to be a "Wild West". 

[Omollo]

MoonKi

I tell you, some of us talk to policemen and soldiers. They can tell you the only assurance they have that their families are well taken care of is to stay alive and hopefully make it to the Traffic Department or get a promotion to OCS.

If a security man gets killed on duty, a disaster befalls the family. The day he is taken for burial, you would notice a beat pickup carrying furniture and household goods that belonged to the poor man. The family is dumped at home and that is it! No benefits no insurance nothing! The widow may use all the funeral collection to travel between Ushago and Nairobi hunting for the benefits with nothing to show. They finally give up. Kids become Chokora to be shot dead by other policemen unaware the father was a policeman.

[bryan275]

Those close enough to the detail of the evolution of the 2007/8 PEV will tell you that Kibaki only sent majeshi to stop the Naivasha massacre after there were rumours that the west pokots and Turus were preparing to come south to defend RV.  It would have been a disaster... For Kibs and co

[Georgesoros]

thinking outside the box, does anyone think maybe its not a security problem/
these people want nothing to do with govt and instead of threats look for real solutions.

This is tough cookie for Uhuru who is used to empty threats. Pokots are not going to be beaten easily. Mzungu failed. Kenyatta failed.Moi failed.Kibaki failed. And Uhuru is set to fail. Moi organized disbarment every yr but nothing doing.

Only Prof Lonyangupuo seem to understands what the problem really is...more education..less violence.

I am told normally unschooled boys (14-20) within a location organize those raids..anything upto 1,000 men all armed who walks to turkana, saburu or baringo..seize a whole village...shooting indiscriminately...and drive all the cows in that village...split them each btw themselves (about 2-3 cows per man)..that mean cops are just sitting ducks..if they DARE make that mistake. Normally cops do not dare provide any resistance...it mostly the KPR (reservist) who try to resist.

Cops have a MOU with raiders to stay clear of each other routes.

KDF have been there but they also seem to have failed.

Ensure all turkanas and pokots are forced to go to school...something other than violence those people are so used to.

[vooke]

We need some accelerated evilution courtesy of KDF just like Mt. Elgon.
Kill,maim,butcher and basically decimate villages after villages till they get the message; lawlessness will be met with barbarism. All this while the media is kept at bay

911 was a wake up call for the US. Terror suspects are animals and so they are not covered by Geneva Convention

[RV Pundit]

This has been tried before and seem to have failed. Pokots and Turkana is not Mt elgon. Even NEP or Somalia is more forgiving. That place is very bad. The negros there very hardened. Definitely they have more training that cops who are taken for gun training for 2 or 3 weeks. These guys have grown up shooting..they do not miss. KDF have been deployed in pokot for many yrs..i think they even have permanent bases there. The same with GSU, APS, Anti-stock, name them. All of them are wise enough not to mess with Pokots.The solution is more infrastructure (esp telephone coverage..safaricom doesn't cover most of those areas), more schools (lonyapuo using his meagre resource started several) esp in plains, from at some point 10 pokots in uni to more than 2,000 now. Pokot in highlands are transitioning..there are dairy coop who supply brookside milk there, they are going to schools etc.

Uhuru should invite Prof Lonyapuo for a talk on how to deal with his people. They certainly need to evolve from stone age.

We need some accelerated evilution courtesy of KDF just like Mt. Elgon.
Kill,maim,butcher and basically decimate villages after villages till they get the message; lawlessness will be met with barbarism. All this while the media is kept at bay

911 was a wake up call for the US. Terror suspects are animals and so they are not covered by Geneva Convention

[Omollo]

Pundit

Here you can see the area has a serious deficit of leadership. How can leaders advocate for a military occupation of their homes? Can they point at any place where the army occupied and left without leaving bigger scars? Elgon perhaps? At what price? In any case there was no big issue behind the Elgon problem. Look at NEP and how the residents are alienated towards the rest of Kenya! That is KDF at work.

They are now raping and maiming in Lamu adding to resentment.

ELDORET: Turkana county leaders led by senator John Munyes want the government to establish a 10 year peace programme between warring communities in a bid to end the constant killings in the affected regions.

The leaders who spoke during a press conference in Eldoret Monday said the killings of innocent persons and security officers in Kapedo area in Turkana East was worrying and an indicator that the bandits had overpowered police. Munyes said the Kenya Defence Forces ( KDF) is ideal in enforcing the 10 year cohesive programme by collecting illegal arms that are currently held by locals.

Munyes in reference to how the Uganda government tackled the situation, the only solution is for the President to let Kenya Defence Forces ( KDF) take over the areas for a period of ten years "President Yoweri Museveni ended the border conflict that was previously persistent after the intervention of security personnel that ran for over five years, the only solution is for the President to let Kenya Defence Forces ( KDF) take over the areas for a period of ten years in a bid to pacify the area by mopping out illegal arms as a long term activity," added Munyes. He added that the programme ought to be community centred where they are empowered to give vital information to the security officials on individuals who practice banditry and hand them over for disciplinary measures.

"After the programme, the locals from both communities will be able to live harmoniously and assist in the improvement of the GDP which is currently at risk," He added. Speaking separately on phone, Governor Josphat Nanok called on the government to intervene on humanitarian aid on conflict prone areas. See Also: Disarmament orders to pastoralist communities 'routinely ignored' He said locals at Kapedo centre did not have food supplies because the roads connecting the region were impassable due to fear of attacks from bandits.

"We cannot access the bandit ridden area, we have food in Lokori but there is no way we can deliver it to the local who are suffering from hunger, thirst, in fact medical facilities in the area have run out of drugs and this pose a more serious danger to our people," said Nanok. Turkana South MP James Lomenen said the government should deal firmly against perpetrators of the on-going attacks. He said KDF ought to be sent to the areas prone to attacks and should not be withdrawn even when calmness returns in a bid to create a lasting solution to the problem.

"The government should conduct an operation that will disarm all communities and those behind it arrested and charged because the government should not wait until over 1000 officers are killed in order to act," he stated. On the boundary issue which has also been seen by leaders as one of the reasons for the killings, Lomenen called on the government to conduct land survey on Turkana, Pokot, Baringo and Samburu in order to ascertain the truth. "There are 20 hotspots in the regions currently marred with killings and the government has the solution at hand, we are just waiting for them to act swiftly in order to prevent more deaths of civilians," he added.

Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/thecounties/article/2000140301/turkana-leaders-advocate-for-a-10-year-kdf-takeover-of-volatile-regions?

[RV Pundit]

I think there is need to involv KDF [there is no doubt those guys are more armed than Kenya police] but in long term gov has to really invest in modernizing these people away from cattle complex. Marakwet have transitioned to horticulture. Pokot can do the same. Turkana too. Samburu are starting to farm.

Pundit

Here you can see the area has a serious deficit of leadership. How can leaders advocate for a military occupation of their homes? Can they point at any place where the army occupied and left without leaving bigger scars? Elgon perhaps? At what price? In any case there was no big issue behind the Elgon problem. Look at NEP and how the residents are alienated towards the rest of Kenya! That is KDF at work.

They are now raping and maiming in Lamu adding to resentment.

[Georgesoros]

Clearly the govt has not done enough to help the situation. Sending police to be slaughtered over and over is not working. Investments in the area wil bring people to limelight as they switch from pastoralist to other things. STOP killing these people for your mismanagement mr. ouru.

[Omollo]

My problem is that KDF has the tendency to get in to corruption by converting everyday small time thievery and racketeering in to well oiled cartel business. See what they have done to charcoal in Somalia as well as promoted Kismayu in to an export route for contraband (Ivory being now back to the top export of that port like it was in 1500 AD).

That area is rich and you know what KDF would do to it. In addition, I have a problem with this continued reliance on KDF for police work. GSU have told me that they are capable of doing much but are hindered by lack of equipment. Some of the equipment they receive is sub standard due to corruption in the procurement. On Baragoi they spoke of APs being preferred for their willingness to participate in corruption easily. They needed night vision goggles to take on attackers who have some strange ability to "see" in the dark. Their weapons are inferior and cannot match the long range guns at the disposal of the attackers - mostly acquired from Uganda and beyond. They need sniper rifles to take out hiding attackers from a long distance. In Baragoi the attackers let the cows graze freely as a bait to kill silly policemen. Had somebody used snipers, they would have picked them from the rocks above easily.

I think there is need to involv KDF [there is no doubt those guys are more armed than Kenya police] but in long term gov has to really invest in modernizing these people away from cattle complex. Marakwet have transitioned to horticulture. Pokot can do the same. Turkana too. Samburu are starting to farm.

Pundit

Here you can see the area has a serious deficit of leadership. How can leaders advocate for a military occupation of their homes? Can they point at any place where the army occupied and left without leaving bigger scars? Elgon perhaps? At what price? In any case there was no big issue behind the Elgon problem. Look at NEP and how the residents are alienated towards the rest of Kenya! That is KDF at work.

They are now raping and maiming in Lamu adding to resentment.

[gout]

when people talk of thugs having better 'equipments', guns with better range it is just a cover of incompetence and also lack of understanding of issues at play .....

I don't think thugs/rustlers have ever had better equipments just passion because their lives depend on it; while majority of our police, military are in it for a salary and kitu kidogo ......not interested in skills

how come that pokots can train to see at night while gsu would need night vision googles???!

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

when people talk of thugs having better 'equipments', guns with better range it is just a cover of incompetence and also lack of understanding of issues at play .....

I don't think thugs/rustlers have ever had better equipments just passion because their lives depend on it; while majority of our police, military are in it for a salary and kitu kidogo ......not interested in skills

how come that pokots can train to see at night while gsu would need night vision googles???!

That is partly true.  What better equipment would they have than the heavily armed security forces in the area?  It really comes down to morale.  Most security folks sent to those regions see it as a punishment of sorts.

kamwana can show true leadership by shutting his mouth and acting.  Or just ignore it like everything else.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

We need some accelerated evilution courtesy of KDF just like Mt. Elgon.
Kill,maim,butcher and basically decimate villages after villages till they get the message; lawlessness will be met with barbarism. All this while the media is kept at bay

911 was a wake up call for the US. Terror suspects are animals and so they are not covered by Geneva Convention

They should round the young men up, give them military training and drop them in Al Shabab infested areas of Somalia.   You kill two birds with one stone.

[Omollo]

Let us stick to bare facts and evidence

1. The Pokot are better equipped.

Evidence:
(a) In Baragoi they took out the APs and Police at a very long distance meaning they had weapons with a much longer range than the police who could not fire back. Even the rescue teams were not safe from the Pokot Snipers
(b) We know from before that they have brought down helicopters and scared away fixed wing civilian planes
(c) The police and GSU as well as successive administrators are on record clearly stating that they have evidence of the Pokot being better armed and equipped than the so called "security Forces"

2. Yes, the Pokot are devoted while our security forces are unmotivated and unqualified. Evidence:

(a) From training, we have no record - even anecdotal - of police recruits failing exams. That should ring huge church bells around the country!
(b) Every Security forces member is interested in remaining alive for death is a disaster they have seen too often.
The Pokot

when people talk of thugs having better 'equipments', guns with better range it is just a cover of incompetence and also lack of understanding of issues at play .....

I don't think thugs/rustlers have ever had better equipments just passion because their lives depend on it; while majority of our police, military are in it for a salary and kitu kidogo ......not interested in skills

how come that pokots can train to see at night while gsu would need night vision googles???!

[vooke]

There used to be a highly educated CID cop Ambrose Murunga who used to pen articles in the Nation way back. He once wrote of how two Pokot snipers with just the norma AK47 ( their sound is distinct) held them for hours as the rest fled with animals.

it is not really superior fire. Am not so skilled but I know the oft reviled G3 semi automatic is quite capable more than the popular AK47. The neanderthals just know the place too well and unlike North Eastern which is relatively flat, theirs is hilly and they have a warrior culture that is older and more organized than the Somalis

Let us stick to bare facts and evidence

1. The Pokot are better equipped.

Evidence:
(a) In Baragoi they took out the APs and Police at a very long distance meaning they had weapons with a much longer range than the police who could not fire back. Even the rescue teams were not safe from the Pokot Snipers
(b) We know from before that they have brought down helicopters and scared away fixed wing civilian planes
(c) The police and GSU as well as successive administrators are on record clearly stating that they have evidence of the Pokot being better armed and equipped than the so called "security Forces"

2. Yes, the Pokot are devoted while our security forces are unmotivated and unqualified. Evidence:

(a) From training, we have no record - even anecdotal - of police recruits failing exams. That should ring huge church bells around the country!
(b) Every Security forces member is interested in remaining alive for death is a disaster they have seen too often.
The Pokot

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

There used to be a highly educated CID cop Ambrose Murunga who used to pen articles in the Nation way back. He once wrote of how two Pokot snipers with just the norma AK47 ( their sound is distinct) held them for hours as the rest fled with animals.

it is not really superior fire. Am not so skilled but I know the oft reviled G3 semi automatic is quite capable more than the popular AK47. The neanderthals just know the place too well and unlike North Eastern which is relatively flat, theirs is hilly and they have a warrior culture that is older and more organized than the Somalis

Let us stick to bare facts and evidence

1. The Pokot are better equipped.

Evidence:
(a) In Baragoi they took out the APs and Police at a very long distance meaning they had weapons with a much longer range than the police who could not fire back. Even the rescue teams were not safe from the Pokot Snipers
(b) We know from before that they have brought down helicopters and scared away fixed wing civilian planes
(c) The police and GSU as well as successive administrators are on record clearly stating that they have evidence of the Pokot being better armed and equipped than the so called "security Forces"

2. Yes, the Pokot are devoted while our security forces are unmotivated and unqualified. Evidence:

(a) From training, we have no record - even anecdotal - of police recruits failing exams. That should ring huge church bells around the country!
(b) Every Security forces member is interested in remaining alive for death is a disaster they have seen too often.
The Pokot

G3 has better range and accuracy than AK47s.  I am hard pressed to see where Pokots and Turkanas would procure anything more than small arms fire.

Those cops use the excuse of being overmatched because it is more politically correct than saying they are just scared out of their pants and have low morale to put their lives on the line protecting primitives that will be shooting at them the next day.

[Omollo]

Think hard about the meaning of "small arms". Do long range rifles come under this or not? The Pokot, Karamojong, Turkana live in a region stretching to South Sudan and deep in to the Congo. I need not go in to obvious details about the availability of arms. These people are obsessed with weapons and seek the best which would give them advantages over their opponents including the "interfering cowardly 'security forces'".

Let me get you a business idea: You want money like it is waste paper, go to that area and become an arms dealer. I found people with sat phones (middlemen) and so on in that area.

But to keep it simple: The biggest source of arms remain:

1. Uganda Army
2. Various rebel movements including The Lord's Resistance Army which doubles in arms trade
3. South (and previously North) Sudanese armies
4. KDF and Kenya Police

This outdated survey whose weakness is that it relies on local informers who may not share the secrets of the raiders perhaps because they don't know them
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/C-Special-reports/SAS-SR17-Karamoja.pdf