Blame game as 10 victims of Isiolo bandit attack buried

The 10 victims of last Tuesday’s attack along the Isiolo-Samburu border were buried on Friday evening in an emotional ceremony attended by county and national government leaders.

The ceremony, which was led by Fr Peter Talone, was held at Kiwanja in Ngaremara location, Isiolo County.

The 10 were shot dead at Buffalo Springs area, along the Isiolo-Samburu border, in an incident that sparked off demonstrations that paralysed transport along the Isiolo-Marsabit road.

During the ceremony, leaders called for swift action against perpetrators of violence in the volatile area, which hosts mostly the Turkana and Samburu communities.

Victims told journalists last Wednesday that suspected raiders from the neighbouring Samburu County ambushed them at Loruko within the Buffalo Springs Game Reserve. Scores of people were also injured during the attack.

The victims said they were grazing their animals, although during the burial, speakers said those killed were pursuing animals stolen by raiders from Samburu County.

Isiolo North MP Joseph Samal accused the local security committee of laxity and failure to preempt the attack, saying the team had been tipped three weeks before the incident.

Peter Erupe, an elder from Ngaremara, alleged that some elected leaders including members of the county assembly were behind the attack and called for action. “This tactic has been used before in 2012. We know them and we are aware of their scheme and this time they will not succeed,” said Erupe.

Leaders said the plot involves inciting the communities against each other in order to cause animosity for their own gains. They claimed the plotters are working in cahoots with some leaders from the neighbouring Samburu County.

Mr Samal also pointed fingers at some local politicians, saying the killings “were a calculated move to incite locals against each other for their own personal gains”.

He further blamed the security agents “for failing to take swift and decisive action to prevent the attack, yet they were furnished with intelligence reports on the impending raid”. “The government had reports of the raid three weeks before. I informed them two hours before the incident but they did not take action,” he said.

Isiolo MP Tiyyah Galgalo asked for action against the planners, saying the security personnel had also slept on the job.

Isiolo Governor Godana Doyo assured residents that he will take action against county officials found to have taken any part in planning the attack.  “Any officer proved to have participated in the raid will face the full force of law,” Doyo said.