By Betty Luke
A section of Isiolo residents have blamed police over laxity in dealing with spate attacks by bandits suspected to be from neighboring Wajir, Samburu and Garissa counties.
Led by representatives from Borana Professionals, elders and Isiolo Human Rights Defenders (IHRD), the residents accused security organs of being slow in responding to concerns raised during the recent attacks that have claimed tens of lives and resulted to destruction of properties.
Mr Hassan Shano lamented that past security and stakeholders meetings had not borne any fruit as residents continued to be killed and maimed in broad daylight.
“There is nothing that can be achieved by leaders meeting but only if residents are adequately involved so that we tell the involved authorities what we feel should be done,” he said.
Mr Shano said the attackers had an expansionist agenda of ejecting Isiolo residents from their land.
The elders accused the government of failure to ensure that the contested boundaries are clearly dermacated to end the perennial disputes.
“The attackers unleash violence on our land but you hear them (administrators) saying it was at the boundary. Who will protect us?,” posed Mr Osman Dima, a member of Borana Council of elders.
In a press release to the media houses, the activists called for speedy action in arresting all suspects involved in recent killings including leaders fanning the violence.
“We demand the arrest of all those involved including political leaders who might have had a hand in the killings,” read the statement.
The group urged the security system to move swiftly and contain the situation to avert retaliatory attacks.
Close to 40 people have been killed, several injured, families displaced and schools closed since the beginning of the year due to insecurity.
The last Sunday’s attack that left five people dead and a community borehole torched at Mado Wale village in Merti Sub-County is the most recent attack.
Reports indicate that the attack was meant to displace communities living in the area while others relate it to fighting over water and pasture for animals.
