13 killed, 207 animals stolen in Samburu raid

By JAMES MUNYEKI

Kenya-Samburu. At least 13 people have been killed after two warring communities turned against each other in Samburu County.

Three others are nursing serious gunshot injuries after the incident which occurred on Monday night.

It was reported that heavily armed raiders from the Samburu community invaded Nachola village and made away with 205 camels and two donkeys during the 3am incident.

According to area civic leader Cllr Lawrence Lorunyei, the raiders attacked several manyattas where they managed to drive away the animals prompting a fierce shootout between the raiders and the owners.

“It was at night when they invaded the area and took away the livestock after shooting several times in the air. They made away with the livestock after they terrorised most of the residents,” he said.

Lorunyei said the raiders drove the animals towards Ngilai area in Baragoi district where they were being followed by a contingent of security personnel deployed to quell the mounting tension.

By the time of going to press, security details led by anti-stock theft police officers and rapid deployment unit were following the raiders but no recovery had been made.

Area OCPD Maurice Makhano said that over 200 security officers had been deployed in the region to quell the skirmishes.

“We are still investigating the matter and that is why we have deployed police officers to do the follow-up. We have also set up camps in all areas where we believe that violence could erupt,” he said.

According to residents who spoke to the press, tension is high as the resident fear that the attacks may continue as the communities plan retaliatory attacks.

They at the same time accused security officers attached at the nearby police post of taking too long to act on information provided by the members of the public over the looming attack.

They alleged that some security officers could have been behind the attacks as they also took long to respond to distress calls from the victims despite it being short distance from where the animals were stolen.

They called for immediate transfer of the officers claiming that they have overstayed at the station and hence making it possible for the police officers to collude with criminals.

The incident comes barely a day after Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka toured the area and called on the residents to embrace peaceful coexistence in order to foster meaningful development.

The vice president was on a three-day tour of the Samburu County where he took his presidential campaigns to woo the pastoral communities to support him in his presidential bid.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Internal Security Minister Katoo Ole Metito would be leading a high profile security detail in the area Wednesday.