Raiders kill seven people, escape with thousands of livestock from Baringo

Police officers enter forest to pursue rustlers during a previous incident. [PHOTO: STANDARD]

BARINGO COUNTY:  Seven people are feared dead and seven others injured after raiders swept through 11 villages in Silale East Pokot, Baringo County stealing over 15,000 heads of cattle.

According to witnesses, the incident that happened at around 5am on Wednesday also saw over 15,000 goats and sheep, 900 camels and 300 donkeys stolen and allegedly driven towards Kamnyung’uny area in Turkana South.

The attacked villages include; Choken, Kapetareng, Lonangii, Nadome, Kalvat, Apiding, Chepisya, Natalilo, Kogwitui and Nakwiadicho villages where locals are now fleeing their homes.

The locals who spoke to The Standard claimed that over 1000 heavily armed raiders laid an ambush in that village spraying bullets killing two people before making away with the livestock.

Local leaders led by Silale MCA Nelson Lotela, condemned the incident and accused the government of laxity in responding to the distress calls from the affected locals four hours after the incident.

“Residents are now living in fear after two people lost their lives and others injured. Livestock which is the livelihoods have also gone, yet the government is yet to respond despite us reporting the incident early enough,” decried Lotela.

He said those killed were women adding that those injured were also children and women.

He has urged the government to urgently respond and pursue the stolen livestock and arrest the culprits.

Area County Commissioner Benard Leparmarai and East Pokot-Deputy commissioner Daniel Kurui confirmed the incident saying that they had already dispatched a contingent of officers to the area.

They however defended the slow-pace on responding saying that the terrain to the incident was poor with rugged roads with no communication network making it difficult for the officers.

“We received the report that this morning at around 5am, some bandits raided Silale area, we heard of the casualties, though we are relying on the officers who are already on the ground to give us the information,” said Leparmarai.

The security team said the officers that have been dispatched to the scene are from Chemolingot and Kapedo areas adding that some of those injured have already been taken to Napukat health centres as others referred to Kapedo hospital.