BANDITRY may be a thing of the past in Mwingi North if MP-elect John Munuve Mati lives up to his word. Mati yesterday vowed to end the menace in the areas of the constituency that border Mwingi North game reserve and Kora national park.
“Once I am sworn into office, I will move with speed to comprehensively deal with the rustling and banditry in my constituency. It is perpetuated by an armed pastoralist community that poses as herders,” he said.
Mati, who was elected on the Wiper Democratic Party ticket, inherited the Mwingi North seat from Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who has represented the area since 1985.
"I will not deal with the banditry menace with kids’ gloves. It is time to deal with the issue once and for all," he said. Mati said the Kenya Wildlife Service has not deterred the bandits who "hide in the animal sanctuaries in the guise of herding livestock".
“My very good guess is that the KWS personnel have been compromised to allow the armed criminals into the game park and consequently compromise the security of my constituents. No further killing will be condoned and the bandits must be flushed out of the park,” he said.
The MP-elect, who spoke to the Star on the phone, was reacting to reports that villagers at Katevya area in Tseikuru district in the constituency had have moved out of their homes for fear of attacks by cattle rustlers.
Reports indicated about 20 families from Kithongo village in Kamuthanga sub-location had since Friday moved out of their homes for fear
of attack after people believed to be spies opened fire at villagers herding their cattle.
No one was killed in the incident. The villagers are camping at Kamuthanga AP camp. About one-and-a-half years ago bandits attacked and killed six people, including schoolchildren, in the same area.
