Ng’inyie residents in Daiga protest over ranchers closing down public roads networks and rivers

Nanyuki,

Saturday, September 30, 2023

KNA by Muturi Mwangi

Residents of Ng’inyei village in Daiga Division, Laikipia East Sub County have protested over a section of ranchers closing down public road networks and denying them access to rivers.

The villagers accused the private ranchers of closing major roads network that leads to their farms and rivers, hence making it difficult for locals to access water for domestic and livestock use.

The locals also alleged that ranchers had threatened to evict them from their land which will be converted into wildlife conservancies. 

Speaking on Friday in Nginyei after the protest situation was calmed down by the local authorities; residents accused ranchers saying they had closed down about five roads which they use to access the nearby rivers.

James Maina, a resident, said that ranchers prevented them from fetching water after being accused of trespassing despite the area being a public road.

‘’Ranchers had halted the plans by the Laikipia county government to open up inaccessible roads in our area to ease daily activities. This left us suffering and it is discrimination, we appeal to the government to intervene,” said Maina.

He further revealed that the ranchers also stopped the installation of electric fences to prevent wild animals from invading their farms leading to jumbos destroying their crops.

Ms Veronica Njenga said that lack of roads after they were closed down by the ranchers, had brought them untold suffering in the area since women couldn’t make their way to the nearby rivers.

‘’We are tired of being sidelined; all we want is an amicable solution since ranchers had stopped several county government projects meant to benefit us. This had caused perennial conflict for resources in the community,’’ Lamented Ms Njenga.

She reiterated that lack of electric fence had caused human-wildlife conflict and at same time appealed for the road networks in the area to be opened up in order to restore peace.

Peter Kairuki, on his part, called on ranchers to complete the projects which they had stopped from being implemented by the county government and other partners in bid to alleviate residents' suffering.

Area assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Salma Suleiman, assured residents that the government was working to address the conflict between the community and ranchers.

She called on residents to maintain peace and order as they wait for their grievances to be addressed.

Courtesy; KNA