‘Battle for Power and Wealth Fuels Kenya's Kapedo Conflict’ 13 April 2021

The killing of a senior police officer in Kenya's Kapedo area on 17 January is just the latest attack in a longstanding brutal conflict. Those responsible control the disputed Kapedo area that borders Baringo and Turkana counties. This year alone, unrest in the area has claimed the lives of over 10 civilians and three police officers, and many have been injured, local authorities say. But the battle has been raging for much longer. The massacre of 21 police officers in 2014 led President Uhuru Kenyatta to visit the area, demanding that the killers and the guns they stole from the dead officers be handed over. To date, nobody has been held responsible or prosecuted for the murders, making Kapedo a safe haven for criminals.

… The antagonism between the two communities stems from who owns Kapedo - Turkana or Baringo. Turkana County's local leaders say the rich pasture land and discovery of geothermal energy are the root of the troubles. They say the Turkana and Pokot communities are fighting over Kapedo's resources and for political control of the area. Turkana County leaders say the rich pastures and discovery of geothermal energy are behind the troubles. Friends of Lake Turkana Director Ikal Angelei agrees. She says resources such as the Kapedo hot springs, geological formations along Lake Bogoria and Menengai Crater and geothermal prospects in Kapedo - apparently East Africa's largest - could be reasons for the area's conflict. Kenya's 2010 constitution provides for a community share in any natural resources extracted within a given community territory. 'The government should prioritise boundary demarcation between Turkana and Baringo counties, provide enough security in the troubled region and stop tip-toeing [around] this issue,' she says.