Next Interior CS should keep intact Kindiki’s strategy on curbing banditry

By Johnson Oduk

To begin with, let me take this opportunity to belatedly congratulate Prof.Kindiki Kithure who was sworn in as the third Deputy President of our beloved country. May he lead and serve to the spirit of the oath of office he took in full glare of the public eye.

Fast forward, his rise to the Deputy President position means that President William Ruto may end up filling the position with a new face. The docket is currently being held in acting capacity by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi but this will surely change because such a serious position can’t be held in acting capacity.

For the two years Prof.Kindiki served as the Interior Cabinet Secretary, his biggest assignment was to work round the clock and use whatever means to put a permanent end to banditry in the North Rift and other regions in Kenya that have been dragged behind by cattle rustling.

Immediately the current administration took over, President William Ruto announced that the military will be deployed in all banditry-prone areas to complement efforts by Kenyan police officers to combat the vice. Indeed, this was done under the tutelage of Prof. Kindiki as a short term measure to whisk away the bandits who were regrouping quick and fast, giving local residents sleepless nights.

The deployment of military officers was received with mixed reactions but eventually proved to be effective.

However, we have to applaud the Ministry of Interior for acknowledging that the deployment of military officers and presence of heavy police machinery won’t serve as a long lasting solution. The ministry shifted its focus to education as a long-term solution to enhance peace and provide economic growth in the region.

The ministry further recognized the need to allow more religious activities that can be used for public sensitization and imparting a strong culture change. This was a timely move aimed at achieving complete transformation that can boost growth economically and open up the young people to new challenges.

Prof.Kindiki, working together with the Ministry of Education listed programmes such as construction of new schools and providing them with adequate materials to empower the residents and reduce the chances of communities resorting to conflict and criminal activities.

His plan to engage legislators and the county governments to help in formulating policies that can help students develop skills and explore career opportunities is definitely going to be magic but in the long run.

Worldwide, it is well documented that better educational outcomes are strongly associated with higher levels of peacefulness. This includes reductions in internal conflicts, interpersonal violence, and an overall increase in socio-political stability.

A good example is Nepal which adopted a new constitution in 2015, transitioning to democracy post the civil war which ended in 2000. Over the last 20 years, the country significantly increased its education spending, focusing on learning outcomes and equitable access. This aligned with improved secondary school completion rates and a 30-place rise in global peace rankings since 2008, attributed mainly to reduced internal conflict. With financial support from the Global Partnership for Education since 2009, these educational investments coincided with substantial improvements in its ongoing conflict score in the Global Peace Index.

It is going to be the same case in the North Rift where education will promote understanding and tolerance by exposing respective communities to diverse positive cultures, perspectives, and ideas.

Whoever takes over from Kindiki must not drop the ball in any way but rather take this initiative a notch higher.

Whoever the person will be must also work with Governors from Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot and Baringo counties to enhance their unity and advocate economic investment and also promote initiatives to foster peace.

We must recognize that for us to find a lasting solution to banditry and cattle rustling menace, the counties on their own should come up with a joint strategy of utilizing available resources and allocation of resources to boost industrial development and create employment opportunities.

This is because counties face similar challenges that require unity of purpose to find lasting solutions through harnessing their joint economic power, potentials and resources. By doing so, the Governors would open doors for residents including the youth some of whom have been involved in acts of lawlessness, to do business and foster international trade.

There is no doubt that other than security operations, Governors, Members of Parliament, Members of County Assemblies, Councils of elders and religious leaders should work with the national government in addressing the cultural, political, social and economic challenges that have escalated the conflict.