Turkana and West Pokot residents fight after raid

Defence CS Aden Duale and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki when they appeared before a joint session by the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Inteligence and Foreign Relations and the Commitee on Administration and Internal Affairs on March 2, 2023. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Tension was high along the Turkana-West Pokot border at Kadengemoi following fighting by two neighbouring communities on Saturday. Gunshots rent the air despite heavy presence of police and military personnel who were recently deployed to contain insecurity in the region. The communities engaged in a fierce battle sparked by an alleged confiscation of cattle after their owners crossed the border with them in search of water and pasture. By Saturday afternoon, it was reported that security personnel had intervened to calm the situation. Masol area Chief Robert Loyatoman said West Pokot herders crossed the border to search for water and that is when they were allegedly attacked by the neighbouring community. He added that exchange of fire began in the morning as the herders tried to rescue their livestock from the attackers. "They always cross the border looking for water. We have been trying to reach them but sounds of gunshots are still renting the air," he said.He noted that police officers responded swiftly in a bid to quell the rising tension. Other locals claimed that there were two incidences of counter attacks that occurred among Turkana residents living in Nakwamoru villages and Pokot residents in Masol location. Masol residents in West Pokot County reported an alleged attack by more than 50 armed bandits who drove away an unknown number of cattle and injured one herder. The herder is said to be undergoing treatment at Kapenguria Hospital. The attackers reportedly headed to Kainuk with the cattle. At around 11am Nakwamoru residents in Turkana county reported an alleged attack by bandits allegedly coming from West Pokot County who drove away 250 goats belonging to known residents - Eng'ole and Pusigol though no casualties were reported. West Pokot residents and leaders accused the government of biases since the security operation began. A resident, Dennis Kapchok, popularly known as Mulmulwas, said that all the operational camps are situated in Turkana County, leaving the West Pokot County side with no camp. "The government needs to know that this is not one of the ways of bringing sustainable peace. The government is opening up fresh wounds that will lead to insecurity in the region for many years. "The government needs to note that impoverishing one community and enriching another using properties of a neighbour is opening a wound that might never heal," Kapchok said. "We are calling for immediate release of Pokot livestock during the raid that happened this morning that has led to one person being injured. I call upon Pokot professionals to unite. "We must look for legal ways of stopping the ongoing operations on grounds of bias and targeting of one community," he added. These attack happened at a time when Masol residents in West Pokot County have been complaining over curfew restrictions. The residents alleged abuse by military personnel in the evening, with the women who do small businesses in the region being the most affected.

Turkana and West Pokot residents fight after raid

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Turkana and West Pokot residents fight after raid

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