Peace is our cash crop: MP Sarah Korere sends appeal to pastoralist communities

Laikipia North Member of Parliament Sarah Korere has urged communities in northern Kenya to prioritize peace, warning that insecurity and banditry can hinder development efforts. Speaking at the Maralal Stadium launch in Samburu on Saturday, Korere emphasized that peace is the region's most valuable economic asset, stating that development cannot succeed in an insecure environment. "Hakuna cash crop ingine, sisi tuko na maeneo yetu na kila cash crop inaitwa amani. This is our major cash crop."

Korere appealed to pastoralist communities to collaborate with government agencies to address insecurity, including cases where individuals from neighboring communities engage in criminal activities. She cautioned against allowing the actions of a few to create hostility among entire ethnic groups, urging all communities—Kikuyu, Samburu, Turkana, and others—to work together and support the government's efforts to end banditry.

"Kama ni Wasamburu wa Isiolo wamefanya hiyo kitendo bado ni wetu. Kama ni Walaikipia pia bado ni wetu. Lazima tuungane na serikali kumaliza ujambazi."

She also cautioned communities against using inflammatory language in public discussions about insecurity and urged them to refrain from insulting or attacking one another. Korere linked the presence of security forces, like the military, to school construction in some areas, but questioned whether such investment would yield benefits if insecurity persisted. "Kila wakati jeshi linakuja kutujengea mashule, badala ya kupeleka watoto shule ndio sisi bado tunaendelea na ujambazi."

Her call for cooperation came in the wake of a recent bandit attack in Gotu, Isiolo County, where five people were killed, including two Anti-Stock Theft Unit officers, a National Police Reservist, and two civilians. Following the incident, protests erupted in Isiolo, demanding stronger action against insecurity. This incident underscores the security challenges faced by communities across neighboring Isiolo, Samburu, and Laikipia counties, where cross-border movement of people and livestock means that insecurity in one area can have far-reaching consequences.