Some North Rift leaders are now seeking divine intervention to help end banditry in Kerio Valley.
They say human intervention has been useful but can not succeed without the hand of God.
“God is the maker of this world and even Kerio Valley. We beseeech him to intervene and help end banditry so that our people can live in peace,” said Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno.
He spoke at a prayer breakfast meeting hosted by Christ Is The Answer Ministries, in part of a multi-sectoral approach of promoting peace and cohesion in Kerio Valley.
“We ask the churches to establish more mission centers where they can impart education and evangelism to the people of Kerio Valley,” Chemno said at a the prayer meeting also co-hosted by the North Rift Economic Bloc (Noreb), which brings together eight counties in the region.
Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor Wesley Rotich, his counterpart for Nandi Dr Yulita Cheruiyot and Noreb CEO Dr Dominic Tanui and other government officials also attended the prayer meeting.
Dr Cheruiyot urged the national government to prioritise peace for the region, noting that communities had paid a heavy price through loss of many lives and stalled development programmes.
The most affected counties include Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and West Pokot, where the leaders, in partnership with churches ,are planning a series of peace and prayer meetings within the Kerio Valley region.
The counties last week asked he government to to recruit, train and deploy about 3,000 National Police Reservists (NPRs) to fight banditry.
Governors and legislators from Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo asked asked interior CS Fred Matiangi to consider reviving the NPRs programme, which was abolished in the region more than four years ago.
The government was then unable to pay allowances for NPRs, who were also accused of teaming up with criminals to perpetrate banditry.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos said affected counties are ready to help the government in paying allowances for the NPRs, if they are hired by the state.
“We are in discussion with my colleagues on the matter because we realize banditry is again on the increase in the region yet our security teams seem unable to deal with the situation,” said Tolgos.
He said it was pointless for the counties to invest money in development projects that can not be beneficial residents who are being killed by bandits almost daily.
“We would rather secure the lives of our people first then we can resume development programmes,” he said.
Before the NPRs programme was terminated, more than 3,000 reservists had been deployed in the area and were to be paid about Sh5,000 each monthly after training and being given uniforms. They were reporting to Officers Commanding Police station in the region.
Tolgos and his counterparts John Lonyangapuo of West Pokot and Stanley Kiptis of Baringo are proposing the same programme be revived.
A meeting of elected and opinion leaders for the three counties will also be held soon to chart the way forward on the insecurity problem in the region.