Raiders make border point no-go zone

The insecurity situation at the border between Turkana and West Pokot counties has now rendered some parts inaccessible.

Bandits who started off as cattle rustlers have graduated into highway robbers and  have taken over important routes.

Monday the killing of a middle aged man brought the number of those killed this year to 13 following the incessant raids on the herders in the now volatile area that has seen residents vacate their residence for safer villages. 

On Friday, and through out the weekend, raiders believed to come from the Pokot raided Kainuk area in Turkana South Sub County on two consecutive days.

Kainuk Chief, Apang’ole Lokitoe said the area was attacked early Friday morning by armed raiders believed to be from Pokot inhabitated areas in a raid that went on untill  late Saturday and some sporadic attacks on Sunday.

“The raiders have been terrorizing the community almost daily day and that has greatly disrupted their normal lives,” said Lokitoe.

He added “We are tired of being raided each day, we are scared because we are not sure when they can attack, we can no longer go about our business freely,” said Lokitoe regretfully.

He further said that the local residents now live in fear as the raiders can strike again any time.

As the raids went one in Kainuk, similar attacks were going on in Kalimng’orok in the same sub county and Lomunio village in Loima Sub County. One herder was taken away by the raiders.

A local resident said Eliongitaka Nguruka had taken his goats to the watering point at Kutarukorio when he was attacked and bundled away.

“He was ambushed by the raiders as he drove his livestock to the water point to drink, he went missing together with his herd,” said Julius Kisike.

In the two raids, 1,000 herds of livestock were stolen. Attacks in region have distabilised peace leaving instead anguish that comes with loss of family, wealth and tension.

The situation has now mutated from cattle rustling, to banditry that has seen travellers along the Kapenguria- Lodwar road bearing the brunt of the audacious day attacks.

The indiscriminate shootings that sometimes end in killings and robbery, is the latest in the area with the security situation is completely deteriorating.

At least 12 people have been killed by bandits along the route while several others have been incapacitated in sporadic attacks along the Turkwel corridor in the past eight months

Recently, a group of journalist came face to face with the bandits who killed a motorist driving a few metres ahead of them.

The three journalists from Kapenguria were headed for a peace meeting at Karon village in Turkwel Gorge West, Pokot County together with Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto when the car ahead of them was sprayed with bullets that killed the driver.

“At Turkwel junction at Lami Nyeusi, a group of armed bandits emerged from the thicket and shot at a motorist ahead of us at close range killing him instantly,” said Wilberforce Netya a Standard Group correspondent based in Kapenguria.

“Luckily we were accompanied by security officers who repulsed the bandits after a shoot out, our car was also shot at,” said Netya.

Peace efforts have been largely frustrated with several meetings held amongst leaders from Turkana and Pokot communities.

They include two recent serious peace attempts flopping days after a truce was declared.

On January 30, this year political leaders from West Pokot and Turkana counties agreed to resolve insecurity issues along their common border and declared 50 solutions to end the perennial challenge.

The meeting in Kitale brought together leaders from the two counties to explore ways of ending the conflict that has continued to see tens of deaths every month.

The leaders agreed on over 50 resolutions to ending the conflict that is likely to cut off connection between Turkana from the rest of the country due to the escalating insecurity along the highway.

The leaders took turns to express their concerns and suggestions in ending the perennial communal conflicts that has caused loss of several lives and property along their border.

In the peace meeting Turkana Woman Representative Joyce Emanikor decried that a number of development projects in the semi arid counties had stalled due to fear of insecurity and observed the challenge should be adequately addressed to realize development.

“We have increased numbers of widows, orphans and incapacitated people due to insecurity cases and children who are left behind by killed parents cannot access education,” she lamented.

“I believe there is no woman who feels good when her child is killed and I want to urge all women to play a big role in ensuring that we have peace among our communities,” urged West Pokot Woman Representative  Regina Nyeris.

During the meeting, West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo urged the national government to deploy security officers in camps to conflict hot spots along the border region instead of having them in the camps.

 

Additional reporting by Joan Letting and Wilberforce Netya