After enduring months of deadly bandit attacks that led to the death of more than 80 people, an uneasy calm is slowly returning to bandit-prone Samburu West area.
Samburu West area residents have endured gun violence in the past year by daring gunmen.
The local pastoralists living across the troubled belt in Samburu West are now faced with the daunting task of rebuilding their lives and homes in the wake of the lingering trauma of the deadly gun violence.
While the victims are beginning to recover from the banditry shocks, the wounds remain deep and the threat of attacks still looms.
A number of learners did not report to schools that were affected by banditry, even after the government's assurances of increased security.
“ We are still living in constant fear not knowing if the day will end well without an attack,” said Samwel Leseegwa, a resident.
“We cannot predict whether they will return again because it is difficult to study their patterns,” he added.
Samburu County Commissioner, John Cheruiyot, noted that relative calm has returned to places that were recently affected by banditry activities, as he reiterated the government's commitment to neutralise banditry in the region.
“There is relative calm in Samburu West and other places where banditry was rampant,” said Mr Cheruiyot.
While efforts to rebuild life are underway, most locals said the progress is yet to be felt because of the magnitude of destruction caused by bandits.
However, government officials believe peace-building initiatives will help heal the wounds inflicted by violence in the region.
Mohammed Barre, the Secretary for Peace Building in the Interior Ministry, recently emphasised the government's commitment to restoring peace and security in Samburu.
The government’s strategy, he said, involves peace talks facilitated by local elders and conflict resolution experts. Mr Barre revealed the talks aim to foster peace in the fragile region to ensure the safety of all locals in Samburu County.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety and security of all residents of Samburu County. We are talking to local elders, youths (morans), and even women in community engagement forums, aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict,” said Mr Barre.
Meanwhile, the government is seeking to deploy additional National Police Reservists (NPR) to fight hardcore bandits in the region, according to Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo.
More than 600 new police reservists have been recruited in Samburu in the past and they joined other security forces to combat rampant insecurity in troubled parts.
The PS, in his last visit to Samburu, revealed that plans are underway to recruit another batch of police reservists as the government bets on homegrown solutions in the fight against endemic banditry and cattle rustling.
The PS said there are approximately 190 police reservists working in the vast Samburu North areas, and the rest are distributed in the parts of Samburu East and Samburu West that witnessed a surge of gun violence recently.
It is said that the NPRs being natives, can act as a quick response every time the cattle rustlers and bandits strike and attack the prone zones. Police reservists are much more familiar with the rugged terrain compared to the already established units and with that knowledge, security chiefs say they are positioned to help restore sanity in the hard-hit areas.
