Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has lately deployed military to several parts of Baringo and Lalkipia in the Rift Valley to maintain peace amid deadly violence that has been fueled due to drought.
The president ordered Friday Kenya Defense Forces to work together with police to calm down the situation.
He said, “The deployment will further assist in disarmament and surrender of illegally held arms.”
About two dozen people are said to have been killed in the deadly violence between herders the Illchamus Pokot and Tugen in the Baringo county in past two months. A British farmer along with many others was killed in Laikipia county in March by herders who invaded ranches in search of pasture and water.
Meanwhile, the military has also been accused lately of human rights abuses in several domestic security operations. The pastoralists have attacked police too on several occasions.
In 2012 more than forty police officers were killed while pursuing the herders who were accused of stealing cattle from a rival community.
Two years later about two dozen police officers were killed in an attempt to pursue the Pokot herders in Kapedo at the border of Turkana and Baringo counties.
Cattle raids have become common lately and experts say the tribes are now using guns instead of spears and arrows.
A national disaster has also been declared due to drought that is affecting almost half of Kenya.
British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said 4 million pounds will be given to Kenya to mitigate the drought effects.
