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Stop the killings in Mt Elgon now
DAILY NATION
Publication Date: 4/17/2007
The senseless killings in Mt Elgon District have gone on for just too long. It’s a shame that leaflets are still being circulated by the criminal gangs behind the violence, targeting certain communities.
We believe we, as a nation, have the capacity in our security forces to ensure that nobody holds any village, community or part of this country to ransom. So, why are some self-styled outfits that are behind the mayhem being left to act with so much impunity?
Some of the youths involved have had the cheek to appear on national TV dressed in military uniform and reiterate their threats to take the law into their own hands to “defend” their rights.
Whatever grievances anybody may have, it’s unacceptable to resort to the kind of madness and subsequent blood-letting that we have seen in the Mt Elgon area.
The State must demonstrate that it alone has the monopoly of the legitimate instruments of force for the maintenance of law and order. A situation where some ragtag group pretends to even wield a fraction of that power is totally unacceptable.
This is why we must re-emphasise some church leaders’ cry at the weekend that it’s disheartening to see clashes escalate in Mt Elgon, yet we have a ministry of Internal security with all the resources at its disposal to act decisively so that all can see that crime of whatever kind does not pay. We couldn’t agree more with the Anglican Church leaders who accused Minister John Michuki of “sleeping on the job while Mt Elgon is on fire”.
Allowing such a show of bravado by an armed gang that relishes in inflicting pain and suffering on fellow Kenyans can only encourage other groups to emulate this.
Those involved in the killings of their compatriots have shown that they are criminals who must be dealt with mercilessly to restore the image of the State in the eyes of the terrorised people of Mt Elgon to reaffirm to them that the Government is there to protect their lives and property. After all, that is the cardinal justification for the existence of
government.
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