Kandebene-Tigania elders of Njuri Ncheke in Meru county confiscated and burned bhang grown on an acre of land.
The elders have declared war on bhang farmers and promised to eradicate bhang peddlers in the Muthumba division.
According to the area manager, they set fire to the entire field and spared a portion of the bhang as an exhibit to be presented to the police.
“I would like to request that the Njuri Ncheke council protect and care for the members who captured the bhang,” he said.
He told Baite Tv that the area had devolved into a bhang-infested zone, with camel herders joining forces with local bhang peddlers.
The elders vowed to work with the chief’s office, the DO, and other administrative offices to rid the area of bhang peddlers.
The area Manager said that over 300 plants were saved for exhibit and the elders promised to work with the government to get the BBI passed.
Another member of the njuri ncheke, Stephen Chokera, requested the government to convene a meeting between the chief and the elders of the Njuri Ncheke to obtain permission to get rid of the camel herders from the community so that the community can move forward.
“When our children used to go into the bushes and back, we wondered what made them show signs of substance addiction,” he said.
“We realized it was the nearby bhang plantation, we have burned it down and carried an exhibit to show the authorities.
“We blame the camel herders who graze in our neighborhood for destroying our children through bhang abuse.
“Camel herders have led camels into our farms, threatening a hunger strike.
“The search for and arrest of the criminals hiding in the bushes will protect the girl child who have been targeted for bhang influence, allowing them to complete their education,” he said.
Chairman of the Kandebene njuri ncheke, Mr. Maingi told Baite Tv that the Kandebene residents had previously conducted an operation to flush out camel herders from the bushes.
“Later, they threatened us and when you go into the bushes, they have guns,” he said.
“When our women go to fetch firewood, the herders sexually harass them. We demand that the camel herders must graze their camels in their counties.
“Should we be unable to reach an agreement, we propose that the county government draft an agreement outlining how we can coexist with the camel herders.
“We recommend conducting an animal count and keeping track of the number of camel herders in the region.
“Another issue we face is the risk of infection among our animals due to diseased camels.
“We are pleading with the government to intervene because attempting to apprehend the herders on our own could result in clashes between their and our communities,” he said.
Another elder of njuri ncheke said that at no time will you find the residents grazing in their county.
He proposed that the government repatriate them because they steal their cattle and kill residents.
“Today, we ensured that no bhang will be planted in the Ngaremara area again. The njuri ncheke elders will go to any length to ensure that their children are not influenced by bhang and that they complete their education peacefully,” he said.
Duncan Muthee, another elder of the njuri ncheke told Baite Tv that the Njuri ncheke council will take action against the owner of the land where we discovered the bhang by inflicting corporal punishment on him.
“He may flee, but we will eventually catch up with him. I attended a public participation hearing organized by the late Nkaisery, and there has been no official response on the recovery of our property stolen by the people of Isiolo to date,” he said.
