Villagers kill three bandits in revenge attack

By Kipchumba Kemei

Narok, Kenya: Three armed bandits who invaded a Manyatta in Narok County and killed two brothers on Saturday night were Sunday killed by angry villagers in a revenge attack.

Police say the bandits who were armed with AK 47 rifles invaded the homestead in Naikara area at around 7pm, opened fire on the owner Lerium Lepore, 35 and when his brother Malik Lepore, 40, emerged he was also killed.

“The thugs invaded the homestead and when its owner who was a businessman emerged to find out what was happening, they opened fire and killed him. His brother who heard the gun shots and also emerged to find out what was happening was also killed,” said the area police boss Peterson Maelo.

Maelo said angry villagers pursued and killed them at different locations, adding that in their operation, an AK 47 rifle and 24 rounds of ammunition were recovered.

Two bandits were killed within Naikara area while the other one was hacked to death at Olderkesi area near the Kenya-Tanzania border as he was escaping to the East African country, he said.

The incident happened less than a week after a Lands Ministry officer was shot by bandits in the same area as he was travelling to Olpusimoru area along the Kenya-Tanzania border in a public service vehicle to adjudicate over land issue there.

Stephen Kisotu, an official  with Friends of Conservation (FOC), an conservation agency that operates in Masai Mara area and who is a resident of Naikara told The Standard that the attack was coordinated, adding that the two brothers were targeted because they were prosperous livestock traders.

“The attack was planned. They were waiting for night to fall and attacked after the duo had arrived from selling livestock at Ngoswani market. The bandits are part of the gang which we suspect have been involved in various crimes in the area and poaching of wild animals inside and outside the Mara,” said Kisotu.

The bodies of the two brothers, whose killings threw the entire area into shock and mourning, were removed to Narok North District Hospital Mortuary while those of the bandits were still undergoing the identification process by police.

Maelo said Kenya Wildlife Service rangers and administration police who had earlier been deployed to disarm and arrest the bandits arrested one of their accomplice at Olderkesi area.