Government continues to ignore Baringo attacks as locals say they've had enough

Traversing parts of Baringo North and Baringo South, one is confronted with the harsh reality of banditry. The level of destruction and displacement is frightening. The hostility between the Pokot and Tugen communities is palpable, the consequences tragic.

Cattle raiding, long considered a culture of pastoralist communities has taken an evil twist leaving hopelessness in its wake. For the residents of Arabal and Mukutani in Baringo South; Chemoe, Kagir, Yatia, Ng’aratuko, Sachang’wan and Chepkewel in Baringo North, life ceased when they were forced out of their habitations. Two schools in the region - Chepkewel and Yatia primary schools - have been converted into places for refuge for the displaced.

“We are waiting for death. We are being hunted down like animals in our homes, but it has reached a turning point. Enough is enough,” swears 57 year-old Samson Aengwo.

Mr Aengwo and his two wives are now living at Chepkewel Primary School where hundreds of families are huddled together in the four classrooms after fleeing from their homes with their remaining livestock following continued attacks from suspected Pokot raiders. This is the fifth time Aengwo has sought refuge in a school since 2013.

“I moved out three weeks ago after they killed my neighbour. In 2012 September, I lost a son after they attacked my home,” says Aengwo.

Aengwo’s neighbour Paul Cherop was killed on April 12 when bandits attacked his homestead where they found him and his wife preparing to have dinner. Two bullets to his head cut short his meal. His wife had just served him ugali and was waiting to serve vegetables.

“He fell on the plate of ugali he was to eat,” says his widow. The bandits, according to the wife, went to her husband’s body asked her if he had a gun.

“I told them he did not have and they laid the body straight on the ground and left just like that,” says the widow.

The late Cherop’s house remains deserted just like hundreds of other homesteads and a number of shopping centres in the region. Moving from house to house we are met by deathly silence. Some of the homes have been left unlocked, an indication of the hurry in which the occupants left their houses to escape the bandits’ bullets.

Jacob Kimosop, another victim of displacement, is an angry man. In between telling his story, he spits words of anger, frustration and almost becomes hysterical amidst wracking coughs, which make his feeble body shudder. Just like Aengwo he swears he is ready to die.

“What a shame? Men have been forced to cry in front of our children and women. We have lost all,” said Mr Kimosop.

As he recalls a number of his dead neighbours and friends, sweat makes its way down his forehead and one cannot for sure tell if it is because of the sun shining with cruelty or the anger in him which makes his hands tremble.

“When they shot Nabol Chemwei, we responded and chased them down here,” he says pointing.

“They were about 20 and the police officers we called to come to our rescue came 18 hours later,” he adds.

The police officers are stationed at Loruk almost 15km away.

“They (police) are cowards. The attack was at 6pm but they came the following day at 10am,” he says.

Chemwei was buried last Wednesday at his Yatya home. Even in burying the dead, the possibility of the attackers ambushing the funeral was so real that contingents of armed police officers surrounded the venue.

The officers, some carrying light explosives, surrounded the venue scanning the horizon for danger lurking within the bushes. And as the funeral programme dragged on, the organisers were told to hurry when it neared 4pm - the time bandits usually strike.

 “We cannot even bury the dead in peace. They strike at will,” said area Member of County Assembly Richard Kampala, the only leader at the funeral.

The bandits have even been nicknamed Al-Shabaab. Men and young boys take turns at night to keep vigil with weaponry that does not match that of of the bandits. David Chelimo, a Kenya Police Reservist, said the residents are clutching at anything they can lay their hands on.

“We know the arrows most of the villagers have are no match for the cattle rustlers’ weaponry but in such hopeless situations, you derive comfort even clutching at a straw,” says Chelimo. He shocks us when we ask him how many bullets he has in his AK47 magazine.

“Not much,” he says as he removes the magazine to show us.

“Only two,” he says. Never mind that Pokot rustlers spray houses with bullets as if they carry a whole armory with them during raids.

Reuben Yatich says it is a mystery where the attackers get their bullets from.

“They just shoot without fear that they may exhaust them,” he says.

And indeed this is true, because as we moved from one homestead to another where recent attacks have taken place, we counted hundreds of bullet shells.

“We understand they exchange the livestock they steal from us for bullets and that’s why they can waste so much on hopeless residents like us. It is a show of might,” says Reuben Ruto, who recently lost his 16-year old son to the attackers. The hopelessness of the situation has caused many to despair - they say it may soon turn into a civil war.

“Let the Government know that we are tired. Just give us time,” said a man who only identified himself as Symon.

Paul, a police reservist who stands clutching an AK47 riffle, refuses to be photographed. We later learnt that the gun is not Government issue.

The Tugen community has slowly acquired arms as some leaders have been advocating. Despite elders saying they have 10 KPRs, we counted over 20 people carrying arms lending credence to the warning sounded by Symon that it was just a matter of time.

Dr Daniel Kandagor, a political lecturer from the region, says the Government cannot afford to continue turning a blind eye because the bells for war are sounding.

“The promise by our Deputy President to end cattle rustling and banditry in Baringo County has come to nothing many months down the line, as ultimatums by the Government to take tough action on the cattle rustlers has only seen the escalation of banditry,” says Kandagor.