Tension as rustlers steal 300 cattle

By MICHAEL SAITOTI and BOAZ KIPNG’ENO

Heavily armed raiders invaded Suyan village in Samburu North and drove away over 300 head of cattle.

The rustlers, believed to be more than 100, staged the raid and made away with the herd on Wednesday evening after they overpowered the herders who were heading home from the grazing field.

The raid comes barely days after another in which 15 cows and several goats and sheep were stolen and driven towards Lomerok.

Samburu Assistant County Commissioner Samuel Muchiri said poor communication network is slowing response from security personnel.

Baragoi Ward Representative Romano Leakono said tension has heightened in the area, with the residents constantly worrying over regular raids.

Leakono said locals were now fleeing their villages due to fears of retaliatory attacks between the two hostile communities.

“The situation is becoming unbearable. Movement is also dangerous as highway bandits have also intensified road attacks,” said Leakono.

Bandits have regularly attacked passengers along the 106-kilometre main road from Maralal to Baragoi. Two months ago, a clergyman was shot dead by bandits.

Muchiri, however, urged the locals not to panic as several officers from the General Service Unit have been deployed to contain the situation.

Baragoi residents blame the government’s failure to carry out the disarmament exercise as promised by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku during his visit to Baragoi in July, after raiders defied the order to return the stolen guns.

Suguta massacre

There has been animosity between the Turkana and Samburu communities since last year’s Suguta Valley massacre in which 42 police officers were killed and 48 firearms reportedly stolen by the raiders.

The postponement of the disarmament exercise has not been well received by the Samburu community, which believes that raiders from the other communities are using the firearms to raid and kill their herders.

Baragoi chief Thomas Lentoimaga wants the Government to repossess illegal arms forcefully.

“The Government should carry out a forceful disarmament operation because these raiders claim that they have even defeated the Government,” said Lentoimaga.