Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly criticised a recent security operation in Samburu County in which pastoralist livestock were killed, accusing the government of mistreating the Maasai community and linking the incident to what he describes as a wider pattern of land disputes in Maasai-majority areas.Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly criticised a recent security operation in Samburu County in which pastoralist livestock were killed, accusing the government of mistreating the Maasai community and linking the incident to what he describes as a wider pattern of land disputes in Maasai-majority areas.
Speaking while in Texas, in the United States, Gachagua said he had received calls through the night from members of the Maasai community in Samburu, Narok and Kajiado counties, who relayed what he described as grievances over the treatment of their community. Samburu county leadership had earlier acknowledged that a security operation in the area resulted in significant livestock losses, with some reports putting the toll at over 100 cattle and several hundred goats, though the full circumstances of the operation have not been independently verified.
Gachagua alleged that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had deployed police officers to Samburu who then shot and killed the animals, a claim that has not been confirmed by the Interior Ministry. He is reported to have described the killings as an insult to the affected communities, saying the animals involved had posed no threat to anyone.
The former deputy president went further to allege a broader pattern of land seizures affecting Maasai communities, claiming land had been taken from clans at Kibiko and separately at Amboseli in Kajiado, in the latter case despite what he said was an earlier court order requiring its return. He also alleged that land in Narok had been taken to build a hotel along a wildlife migration corridor. These claims have not been independently verified and no government official had responded to them by the time of publication.
Gachagua also criticised local leadership in the affected counties, saying residents were frustrated that some elected representatives had remained silent rather than speaking out on the community’s behalf, while crediting others for raising concerns on the matter.
He additionally suggested, without providing evidence, that mineral deposits including lithium in the affected areas could be a motivating factor behind the alleged land disputes. He said he intends to travel home next month to meet directly with affected communities.
The Interior Ministry and Samburu county officials had not issued a detailed public response to Gachagua’s specific allegations by the time of publication.