By Pascal Ndegwa - Reporter
Kenya, October 13 ,2026 - Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has urged the Maa community to go to court and demand compensation for more than 700 cattle shot dead by police during recent security operations.
Speaking in a message that has quickly circulated online, Matiang’i said: “The Maa community should go to court and seek compensation for the 700 cattle shot by police.”
The call comes after weeks of anger among pastoralist families in Samburu and Laikipia counties. In September 2026, security officers, including the General Service Unit and Anti-Stock Theft Unit, carried out operations aimed at stopping banditry and cattle rustling. During those operations, more than 700 animals , cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys , belonging to at least 43 families were shot and killed.
Community leaders and residents have described the losses as economic sabotage. Livestock are the main source of wealth, food and school fees for many Maa families. Students from affected households have said they may not return to school because their parents no longer have animals to sell. Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit has demanded about KSh 70 million in compensation and has presented a petition to Parliament. Hundreds of protesters, many wearing traditional Maa dress, later marched to the Interior Ministry headquarters in Nairobi demanding answers and payment.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called the deaths “regrettable” while defending the security operations. Officials have argued that bandits sometimes hide among herds, making it difficult to separate criminals from ordinary livestock. Community leaders reject that explanation, pointing out that large numbers of animals were killed in single locations with no bandits reported injured or arrested.
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Matiang’i served as Interior Cabinet Secretary under former President Uhuru Kenyatta and is now a leading opposition figure and Jubilee Party leader preparing for the 2027 elections. By urging the Maa community to take the matter to court, he is carefully positioning himself as a defender of pastoralist communities who feel ignored by the current government. At the same time, he is drawing attention to what he sees as excessive force and a lack of accountability during security operations, while insisting that the proper way to settle such grievances is through the legal system rather than protests alone.
For many in the Maa community, cattle are far more than property. They form the foundation of their economy and culture. When hundreds of animals are destroyed in a single operation, families lose their savings, their ability to pay school fees, and their sense of security. Matiang’i’s message is clear: the government should be held responsible in court for those losses.
Whether the community follows his advice and files a formal case remains to be seen. What is already clear is that the shooting of the 700 animals has become a political flashpoint, and Matiang’i has chosen to place himself firmly on the side of those demanding compensation.