Former Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has linked the ongoing deadly Laikipia County attacks to plan to displace the local communities in an expansionist land grab.
Kiunjuri said despite the attacks no community least of them the Gikuyu will leave the area and will work alongside the security operators to ensure peace and order is restored.
He asked the government to revert back to the home guards by arming them afresh so that even after the operation to flush out the bandits, the home guards who live among the people can continue to offer security.
Kiunjuri who hails from the county said they will ensure those people who have already been displaced by the attacks will be resettled back.
Kiunjuri who is also The Service Party (TSP) leader made the remarks when he visited hundreds of Ol Moran residents who fled their homes after a series of banditry attacks that left them homeless.
Hundreds of women and children have camped at Deliverance Church in Ol Moran Centre, even as police comb through the thickets of Ol Moran forest in search of the bandits.
Kiunjuri said that time was ripe for the government to change tact to effectively end the perennial banditry attacks in the area.
‘’We don’t need all these police officers here, what these people want is to be given Kenya police Reservists otherwise known as home guards to protect us,’’ Kiunjuri said .
Attacks in the area have been going on despite police presence, with several schools and houses being torched.
‘’This operation for now should continue. But we want to state that we are not leaving Laikipia. We are here to stay,’’Kiunjuri said.
Among the food items donated by Kiunjuri include 3 tonnes of maize flour and 1200 packets of milk.
Others present during the visit include Laikipia Women Representative aspirant on a TSP ticket Beth Waithira (Wa Diana) who donated 100 packets sanitary towels, Laikipia North MP aspirant on a TSP ticket Maina Munene who donated 100 bales of 2kgs packets of maize floor and 40 blankets.
