Kenya: Terror in Rift Valley as bandits mock State, murder 50

Children seek refuge in local schools following insecurity in Baringo County, which has left hundreds of families displaced. [PHOTOs: BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD]

NAKURU: At least 50 people were murdered in East Pokot on Monday evening, just a few weeks after the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinet issued a 48-hour ultimatum to cattle rustlers in the Rift Valley to hand in their guns.

Since that order was made, the killings have continued and Tuesday authorities declined to give a figure of those killed.

But Baringo Red Cross chairman Kipkemboi Morwess said his team on the ground had counted more than 50 bodies, and were still combing the bushes for more.

A resident identified as Omar told The Standard last evening that they counted 53 bodies spread across an area of one kilometre square at Nadome.

He said four of the survivors, who had bullet wounds, had already been rushed to Chemolingot district hospital.

“The four are in Chemolingot being stabilised before being taken to Nakuru for further treatment,” he said.

He said one of the survivors had a bullet lodged in his back while others had bullet wound in the their head, legs and hands.

Omar said of the dead, 13 were Pokots while 40 were Turkanas.

The killings occurred at Nadome and Kasarani following an attack by raiders and subsequent retaliatory attacks.

It is the same region where 21 Administration Police officers were killed last year by Pokot raiders, prompting President Uhuru Kenyatta to warn that his administration would not tolerate such attacks.

Baringo County Commissioner Peter Okwanyo said he could not confirm the exact number of deaths because officers were on their way to Nadome and Kasarani where the killings took place.

“We are aware of the deaths, but the exact number, I cannot say as at now,” he said.

But sources told The Standard up to 50 people from the Pokot and Turkana communities may have died during the gunfight which lasted for hours on Monday.

Morwess said Turkana bandits raided a homestead and killed five members of a family on Monday at around 5pm, sparking the massacre.

The attackers were later cornered at Kasarani area.

“The Pokot, who are also armed, hunted down the attackers and waylaid them at Kasarani where a gunfight ensued for over six hours,” he said.

He said the dead were from Turkana and Pokot communities.

This was corroborated by area MCA Lotela Yokir, who said many people had died in the attack.

“Many people are dead and the exact number will only be confirmed after police and Red Cross comb the whole area,” he said to The Standard.

Two ambulances sent to rescue nine survivors of the attack had by last evening not been traced.

“The last time we spoke with the team on the ground, they had six survivors and were to ferry them to Kabarnet but six hours later, they have not arrived and the crew cannot be reached,” said Morwess.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Osman Warfa could not give the number of deaths.

MISTRUST AND SUSPICION

“I cannot ascertain the deaths, but I know there are survivors being ferried to hospitals,” said Warfa.

Cattle rustling has over the years remained a major cause of insecurity and conflict among communities in Baringo County.

The recent upsurge of the incidence of cattle rustling in the county has led to mistrust and deep-seated suspicion between members of the Tugen and Pokot communities living in the region.

The insecurity has been greatly facilitated by availability of small arms and light weapons in the rustling-prone region.

The increased use of weaponry has not only grown to become a major security problem for the pastoralists, but also a key threat to the very core of their livelihoods, which is anchored on ownership of large herds.

The killing of 26 security officers at Kapedo in October last year marked the height of insecurity in the region and worsened relations between the two communities.

In January this year, three people, including a schoolboy, were shot and wounded in an attack at Bartabwa village in the county.

During the same month, one person was killed and more than 3,000 people displaced in renewed attacks in Marigat area of Baringo County.

In February, three police officers were among nine people who were killed in Baringo East constituency during another raid on a village.

So bad is the situation that it has permeated into the chambers of the County Assembly of Baringo, where elected from the two communities do not see eye to eye.

In October last year, William Kassait Kamket, the Speaker of the Baringo County Assembly, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi while boarding a plane to Istanbul, Turkey, on official business.

Kamket was linked to incitement that led to the attack where the 26 police officers, including members of General Service Unit (GSU), were killed in Kapedo and their guns taken away. There is a case against him pending at an Eldoret court.

Kamket is a member of the Pokot community, the smaller tribe in the county that has over the years been blamed for the spiralling incidents of insecurity in the region.

He has been suspended from presiding over the proceedings of the House until the matter in court is resolved.

Of concern is the fact that while cattle rustling is a perennial problem, there has been no effective intervention by the State to curb this practice.

Local leaders have accused the Government of leaving them at the mercy of attackers.

Recently, Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi decried the state of insecurity in the county, saying most residents in the rustling-prone areas had been neglected.

“We want the national government to do more in terms of protecting the lives and property of the residents of Baringo County. We cannot leave the people at the mercy of heavily armed community vigilantes, criminal gangs, and gun-toting bandits,” he said.

In Baringo, State security agents have been ineffective in protecting the lives and property of the residents.

Simon arap Namba, a local politician, claimed State security agents only turn up long after a raid has occurred, people killed and other human rights violations have taken place.

“At times, the involvement of State security agents has only helped to fuel tension and conflict in Baringo, as their intervention almost always involves the perpetration of human rights violations, especially among the most vulnerable members of the community, notably the women and children,” he said.

After last year’s Kapedo attack, President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the area and promised his Government would deal with the criminals.

“As the Government moves to deal with the criminals, local leaders and residents must also play their part in ensuring security in their localities.

“We must always remember that security is a shared responsibility, and that each and every Kenyan must remain their brothers’ and sisters’ keeper,” he stated.

President Kenyatta warned that such attacks are, “inconceivable, unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any cost, by my administration.”

But even after that firm assurance, the attacks in Baringo still continue to claim lives.