Mandago calls for lasting solutions to insecurity in Laikipia, Kerio Valley.
Governor Jackson Mandago EGH has called on the National Government to focus on coming up with long term solutions to security changes that several areas in the Rift Valley region are facing.
Mandago, responding to recent banditry attacks in Laikipia noted that recurrence of insecurity in the region are as a result of the Government resorting to short term solutions.
In a media briefing, the Governor also expressed the need for be Ministry of Interior to look at ways in which it will involve counties in addressing the security issues.
“There is no way the ministry can run security without involving counties as locals have simple solutions to some of these challenges,” he noted.
“Going forward, counties must have a role in security matters. This is an issue that would have been addressed with the County Police Oversight Authority that was shelved and never operationalized,” added the County boss.
According to Mandago, some of the areas the Government need to focus on when addressing insecurity is rolling out irrigation projects in the volatile areas, building more schools and opening up the roads.
‘These are the recommendation we gave the Government and could easily find a solution to the security issue but they have never been implemented,” he noted.
The Governor who is the chair of the North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREB) further called on stern action to be taken against any politician that will be found to have been involved in inciting locals against each other Laikipia.
Similar sentiments were shared by Soy MP Caleb Kositany who challenged Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and Rift Valley regional coordinator to stop treating security matters casually.
“As the Governor has noted, we need to look at lasting solutions with a focus being on the principle that prevention is better than cure,” said Kositany.
The MP also asked locals in Laikipia to maintain peace and also appealed to the bandits to retreat from carrying out the attacks against innocent Kenyans.
