Turkana Residents Demand Arms

Angira Zadock and Ashley Lime

10 May 2011

Nairobi — Turkanas living in Nairobi on Tuesday held a peaceful demonstration over insecurity in their home area.

And as Turkana residents demanded to be armed like their neighbours, it emerged that the police department and the Office of the President were sharply divided over the issue of arming the local police reserve.

Last week, Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh said Kenya had written a protest note to Ethiopian Government on the Turkana killings, and also announced that the process of vetting respected leaders to join the Kenya Police Reserve (KPR) was on.

However Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the process of arming the people had not been successful since they were not using them to uphold the law.

“In most cases, they would use the arms only when the Merilles are attacked, but not to restrain their people,” Mr Kiraithe said.

He assured Kenyans that the government was doing its best to provide security for Turkana and it was their right to demonstrate.

Mr Kiraithe said that the government was still considering recruitment of police reservists, but also urged the Turkana community to end the culture of violence.

The Turkanas took to the streets saying that although the government promised action, residents were still grappling with security threats from Ethiopian militia.

They accused the government of failing to recruit police reservists who were to be selected locally to work in with police officers.

“Even the General Service Unit and Administration Police camps have not been moved to the border at Todonyang,” a protester, Mr Raphael Lingan, said.

The demonstrators also claimed that about 2,000 residents of Todonyang had been moved to Lowoarengak, 25km away, because of high tension and insecurity in the area.

Turkana Professionals Association chairman Ekuru Aukot blamed the government for insecurity in the region, saying, the people of Turkana had suffered for long.

“This is a failure both of the State and the general leadership. The President and Prime Minister have failed the people of Turkana and this looks like a continuation of the colonial legacy,” Dr Aukot said.

He further blamed a Turkana North Cabinet minister for failing to table a paper showing the suffering of the Turkana people.

House Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations member Kiema Kilonzo accused the government of laxity in addressing security concerns.

“The government hasn’t deployed additional security personnel to Todonyang as promised. No humanitarian help has reached the displaced families,” Dr Aukot said.

Speaking to the Nation, Missionary of St Paul Diocese Catholic priest Fernando Aguire said the standoff over the Kenya-Ethiopia border was occasioned by the presence of weapons in the area and inadequate resources.

Efforts to contact Mr Ojodeh were futile.

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