Trans-Nzoia governor George Natembeya has stated that Nairobians are funding bandits in the North-Rift region by eating meat from cows stolen by the rustlers.
The Governor noted that the animals stolen by bandits are transported to Nairobi slaughterhouses and later find their way into local markets.
While speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Monday night, Natembeya said he made this discovery when he served as the Rift Valley Regional Commander (RC) for three years.
The Trans-Nzoia governor further reported that there is a “cartel” behind the livestock transport, adding that all police officers stationed at various roadblocks have been compromised by bribes.
“These animals are eaten by the good people of Nairobi, you are funding bandits in the Rift Valley, and this is a statement of fact I am not speculating because if 1,000 animals are stolen and taken to the Laikipia Nature Conservancy for instance but somehow they disappear in thin air,” he said.
“We even gave instructions that no animals should be transported after 6pm and we instructed our police officers to man all the roadblocks from Baringo to Nairobi, but these cartels know who is on the roadblock. They carry money and compromise everybody,” he added.
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Likewise, Governor Natembeya stated that while serving as RC, his efforts to end banditry were frustrated despite his eagerness. He said there was no support from the government and officers deployed to the region were abandoned.
“When I went to the Rift Valley, I said I was going to be the last Ragional Commissioner to talk about banditry. I was very enthusiastic, and I mobilized all security agencies all the way from Turkana to Baragoi I even had meetings with all commanders, and I told them that ‘let us suffer for two or three months but let nobody else who comes after us suffer the way you have suffered’,” he noted.
According to Natembeya, they could not be effective as the troops were disappointed because access to basic needs was not possible.
“But how do you expect us to succeed? We don’t have vehicles, or fuel, officers are completely demoralized. The salaries they are paid is the same traffic officers are paid,” he said.
Nonetheless, Natembeya stated that the frustrating working conditions prompted him to leave the security administration and get into politics.
