Eight killed in Kapedo revenge attack as chaos escalates

Three women and one child are among eight people killed in revenge attacks at Kapedo shopping centre on the border of Baringo and Turkana counties over the weekend.

Three people were left nursing gunshot injuries and were taken to Baringo County Hospital by Kenya Red Cross Society personnel.

The retaliatory attack followed an incident where one person was killed in Lokori, Turkana County, on Friday and an unknown number of livestock stolen.

The Turkana are alleged to have descendent on Kapedo shooting indiscriminately shortly after a peace meeting between elders from Pokot and Turkana communities, which failed to resolve the impasse.

According to Silale Sub-Location Chief Peter Kamdogoror, the peace meeting turned chaotic when both communities could not resolve an earlier incident where Turkana are alleged to have been found with camels and donkeys.

The meeting that lasted over 10 hours was held on Saturday to chart the way forward after six camels were allegedly stolen from the Pokot and later sold to Turkana.

“There was a disagreement during the meeting and a fight erupted, the old men from the Pokot side had demanded to know why the Turkana community kept buying animals from the Pokot, which they knew were obtained through theft and banditry. The question led to the attacks,” said Mr Kamdogoror.

“Police officers and reservists who were on patrol saved the day, and many would have been injured were it not for their swift action,” said the chief.

Silale Ward MCA Nelson Lotela condemned the killings and urged the Government to prevent more deaths.

“The deaths that occurred would not have reached such a number. Security officers are to blame. They claimed their region is Turkana and not Baringo,” said Lotela.