Cattle-rustling in the frontier districts in the north rift is a wound that has stubbornly defied all treatment efforts.

A combination of poverty, greedy traders, easy accessibility to sophisticated arms and half-hearted government efforts at disarmament have seen the problem simmer on and on.

Residents in Trans Nzoia District say rustling has been going on for as long as they can remember. Traditionally, Pokot youths raided for animals to pay bride price. Also, a man's wealth was measured by how many animals he owns. Because they need animals which can survive the rough climate that is West Pokot, they always went for indigenous animals.

But in recent years, this has changed. The animals being stolen now head straight to a market across the Ugandan border where they are sold.

Trans Nzoia residents trace intensified cattle raids to the late 70s. This was when the political upheavals in Uganda under Idi Amin saw the proliferation of arms among civilians.

As Amin's soldiers fled the Tanzanian invasion, they abandoned whole armouries which were promptly emptied by Karamojong herdsmen. Today, the Ugandan areas bordering Kenya have an estimated 6,000 guns, enough to arm a sizable army to cause havoc. The fighting in southern Sudan, pitting the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Khartoum government has also contributed to the arms problem.

The SPLA has camps in Turkana District where its combatants, faced with starvation, openly give their arms to locals in exchange for food.

For as little as Sh6,000, one can buy a new AK-47 rifle. For those without cash, one or two cows are enough depending on the condition of the rifle.

These are the guns being used by the Karamojong, Turkana, Sebei and Pokot to terrorise each other and the Luhya and Marakwet.

Attempts by the government to disarm people on its side of the border have been largely unsuccessful. So far, the most serious one, involving the Army, the General Service Unit and the airforce was carried out in the mid 80s. This happened after the rustling problem took on a political angle with Pokots reportedly seeking secession from Kenya.

At the heart of their grievances was perceived economic marginalisation by successive governments. Even today, many Pokot elite openly say that for as long as their people are marginalised, rustling will remain.

Early this year, after a particularly vicious round of raids between the Pokot and the Marakwet, the President ordered another army sweep through West Pokot. However, he announced the operation at a public rally days before it was launched and by the time it started, the weapons had fled across the Uganda border. Just days after the operation was declared a success, the cattle raids began again.

In August and September, more than 5,000 animals were stolen from Trans Nzoia District. More than 20 people were killed, scores of others wounded. Their houses were burnt and women raped.

An outcry led to the deployment of the army and once again, the raiders made a tactical retreat. It was also at this time that the raids took on a new dimension.

Normally, Pokots had targeted only indigenous animals but this time even exotic ones were not spared. These were fetching up to Sh60,000 at Kapkata, in Kapchorwa District, Uganda.

There were also reports of influential people being involved in the thefts. How else can the government explain the fact that security forces just watched as the raiders herded the animals away?

How can 200 raiders herding 300 cows walk more than 100 kilometres from Trans Nzoia District to the Uganda border without being seen by security forces who have helicopters, asks Kwanza MP George Kapten.

That the security forces have performed dismally in the area is in no doubt. Many of them complain about poor morale and lack of facilities. Whereas the raiders are armed with AK-47 rifles, the best the policemen have are Mack 10s and G-3 rifles.

Often also, they do not have vehicles and so tracking down raiders becomes problematic. Then there is the question of allowances. Many security officers in the area complain of going for days without allowances and even food rations.

The terrain too is a challenge. While most security men are new to the area, the raiders know the terrain like the back of their hands. This is why government decided to arm the Kenya Police Reservists, also known as homeguards. These were people from the local communities and so who knew the area well. They know who the rustlers are and what routes they use.

However, this tactic is backfiring because these same people are now stealing animals.

Many people say it is because they are not paid anything for their efforts. "How can you trust people with guns to work and yet you do not give them anything in return?" asks Pokot leader David Ruto.

However, the Kapenguria police boss Joseph Naragwi says homeguards are not supposed to be paid anything.

It will require combined efforts from Kenya and Uganda to end this problem one and for all. During a tour recent of the border areas, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was quoted saying Uganda will deploy more troops there to deal with the rustling problem. He said he will deploy and station a specialised armoured battalion permanently in Kapchorwa District.

Increased security is certainly one of the solutions for both countries but this must be matched with economic programmes to re-integrate people.

Comments\Views about this article