After 30 years of fear, Lorogon dares to dream

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For more than three decades, residents of Lorogon on the Turkana/West Pokot border have lived in the shadow of banditry.

Now, with the guns largely fallen silent following a government disarmament operation, they are demanding something they have long been denied: a chance to turn peace into jobs, water, electricity and a better life.

The village sits between the permanent Turkwel River and rugged hills cut by deep, difficult-to-access valleys that have for years provided hideouts for bandits.

Here, daily life was dictated by gunfire, with children, women and the elderly caught up in attacks. Many homesteads are dotted with the graves of people whose lives were directly or indirectly claimed by the violence.

The insecurity also crippled the local economy as agricultural production declined as farmers struggled to access their land, while livestock, the main source of income for many households, was frequently stolen.

Even a simple trip to the river for water could turn deadly. Women walking to fetch water were among those targeted whenever insecurity deteriorated.

For Leah Natuk, living in a village on the frontline of attacks between warring communities meant being at the mercy of aggressors whenever retaliatory raids were planned.

She said Lorogon was an easy target because bandits hiding in the surrounding hills and inaccessible valleys controlled movement and activities in the area, subjecting residents to killings, assaults and other forms of repression.

Ms Natuk vividly recalled a 2013 incident when bandits placed the village under siege for five days after blocking the road from Kainuk town through Sarmach and Turkwel villages.

They cut down huge tree trunks, dug potholes and placed large stones across the road, effectively sealing off the village and preventing vehicles from entering or leaving.

“The bandits wanted us to forcefully flee our ancestral village after we maintained our stand of being administratively and politically inclined to Turkana County. This has also been reignited by the fact that we are part of the newly created Aroo Sub-County, which has its headquarters at Kainuk,” she said.

Before security was restored through an operation by a multi-agency security team, recently backed by the Specialised Operations Group, travelling to and from Lorogon was a risky undertaking.

A few well-wishers and traders had to rely on security escorts from Kainuk town, passing through villages inhabited by the neighbouring community to reach Lorogon.

The fear was not confined to the roads.

“In retaliatory attacks, they didn't care. They targeted whenever one of their community members was shot dead. They have shot dead people going to fetch water, to the toilet, shop, gold mines, or those fetching firewood or burning charcoal as alternative sources of livelihood,” Ms Natuk said.

Now, with the guns quieter, residents are beginning to look beyond survival.

At a stakeholders’ meeting at Lorogon Primary School, residents outlined the challenges that remain and the opportunities they hope the return of security will unlock.

They thanked the government for restoring security, saying they can now travel to Kainuk, their nearest town, without security escorts.

Some residents also said they had voluntarily surrendered illegal firearms in exchange for security and development, signalling a desire to break from the cycle of violence that has defined life in the area for decades.

But for residents, peace is only the beginning.

Esther Piarai called for the deployment of additional National Police Reservists, saying the village currently has only three.

She also demanded that locals receive a fair share of the jobs expected to arise from the construction of a water pipeline by the Kenya Defence Forces.

“We are requesting for a fair share of employment opportunities that will be available during water pipeline construction works to be executed by Kenya Defence Forces. The village should also be allocated water trucks that will be relied on to distribute water to nearby villages before the pipeline is completed,” Ms Piarai said.

Mr Lomodo said Lorogon residents had never benefited adequately from the operations of the Turkwel power station and dam, despite living next to one of the region’s most important infrastructure projects.

“We are requesting the top management to consider giving the locals a share of their job opportunities and renewed corporate social responsibility activities. We are asking for equal opportunities so that locals from both Turkana and West Pokot Counties benefit to improve their standard of living, starting with private security personnel to technical skills personnel,” he said.

He said the village once had a reliable water distribution system comprising a reticulation network and concrete tank, but the infrastructure was later vandalised by bandits who exploited the humanitarian crisis to force residents out of the village.

“We want the water system restored so that they benefit, as well as the village connected to power for enhanced business activities. A water pipeline from Turkwel Dam to South Lokichar Basin is also expected to pass through the village, where locals are also hopeful of job opportunities,” Mr Lomodo said.

For Peter Lochuge, the irony is difficult to ignore.

Lorogon is located only about two kilometres from the 106MW Turkwel hydroelectric power station, yet residents have lived without electricity for more than three decades.

“We are located only about two kilometres from the 106MW Turkwel hydroelectric power station but we are faced by a severe lack of electricity for over three decades. Our lives and property are not protected as per the Constitution and services that include education for our children, food for survival and a conducive environment to carry out economic activities are not assured by the State,” he said.

The arrival of oil wealth has done little to change that reality.

Mr Lochuge said that despite the discovery of crude oil in the region, Lorogon was yet to benefit from petroleum activities, echoing concerns raised by communities living near the oilfields that the resource has yet to transform their lives.

Beyond the planned water pipeline, residents are also looking towards a proposed Sh1.8 billion irrigation project at the Turkana-West Pokot border, which will be managed by the Kerio Valley Development Authority.

The project will cover 1,000 acres and draw water from the Turkwel Gorge Multipurpose Dam, harnessing the Turkwel River to support irrigated agriculture, strengthen climate resilience and promote cooperation between the two counties.

East Africa Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary Beatrice Askul, who in January led both communities in public participation on the irrigation project, said it aligns with President William Ruto’s directive to prioritise irrigation under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

“Besides addressing food insecurity in Turkana and West Pokot Counties, the 1,000-acre Lower Turkwel Irrigation Project will help communities put an end to prolonged conflicts and banditry primarily driven by disputes over resources, cattle rustling and boundary,” Ms Askul said.

She said the project would unlock the productive potential of ASAL regions, with irrigation expected to boost food security, create jobs and support sustainable livelihoods in Turkana and West Pokot.

The authority’s chairman Mark Chesergon said feasibility studies had established that land along the border was suitable for large-scale maize and sugar farming.

“Over 30,000 acres of land is good for irrigation at the border,” he said.

Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai said the success and sustainability of the proposed Lower Turkwel Irrigation Project would depend largely on active participation and ownership by local communities.

He said the project was designed not only to address food insecurity but also to foster lasting peace between neighbouring communities.

“As leaders, we are fully committed to supporting the successful implementation of this initiative. We also urge the Government to prioritise comprehensive disarmament, which remains the single greatest barrier to sustainable development and stability in the region,” Mr Lomorukai said.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.