A police reservist has been shot dead, while four others were seriously injured in a fresh bandit attack in Chemoe village in Baringo North.
The 2pm incident happened when an unknown number of armed attackers descended on the village, attacking herders before driving away an unknown number of livestock belonging to Ezekiel Kaptum.
An injured police reservist at the Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet on May 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation
According to Baringo North Sub-County Police Commander Mohammed Abdi, during the attack, a police reservist, Evans Kamworor, was shot dead.
“Bandits suspected to be from the neighbouring community attacked Chemoe village at around 2pm and made away with an unconfirmed number of livestock belonging to one of the locals. A police reservist who was among a group that responded has been killed and four other people injured. Multi-agency teams are engaging the bandits,” said Mr Abdi.
The death brings to 16 the number of people killed in the restive Kerio Valley belt since the beginning of the year, with scores of others nursing gunshot wounds.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen (right), Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan (left) and other security chiefs at a Kampi Samaki Hotel in Baringo for a security meeting on May 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech Nation
The incident happened some kilometres away from Kampi Samaki in the same sub-county where Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was leading a security meeting with county security chiefs and administrators from the region.
The security meeting was attended by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat and his counterpart Gilbert Masengeli, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Hassan Abdi, Regional Police Commander Jasper Ombati and security teams from Baringo.
Following the incident, local leaders and residents in the region have faulted the security agencies for failing to beef up security in the banditry prone area.
“It is very sad that locals in the restive Chemoe village were left at the mercy of armed criminals because when the attack happened, all NPRs (police reservists) had been recalled for a vetting exercise in Bartabwa, while the other security officers, including chiefs, went to attend a security meeting in Kampi Samaki,” said Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap.
Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap during a press briefing in Kabarnet town on May 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation
The MP accused the government of being lenient towards armed criminals who are wreaking havoc in the affected villages.
“The Interior CS is claiming that locals are in possession of illegal guns, then why hasn’t he gone ahead to seize them? Why has he not arrested the suspected criminals killing locals in this region? This means he has failed in taming the runaway insecurity in the North Rift,” said the MP.
Saimo Soi MCA Michael Chebon wondered why people were killed despite the deployment of thousands of security officers in the affected villages.
“If an attack is being staged a few kilometres from where the Interior CS was having a security meeting, then how safe are we as locals? We have complained over the years for the state to seize illegal guns in the hands of civilians and we are wondering why the government is not doing that. They are so lenient towards the armed criminals wreaking havoc,” said MCA Chebon.
Security teams outside a hotel in Kampi Samaki, Baringo North where Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen led a security meeting on May 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech Nation
Richard Chepchomei, a resident of Chemoe, also raised concerns that the spate of attacks has forced locals in Kapsebeywo, Ng’aratuko, Kapturo, Kagir, Tuluk, Yatya, Kosile and Chepkesin to flee their homes for safety.
“How can we stay in an area where we are not assured of our safety? Despite deployment of hundreds of security officers in the affected villages, people are still being killed and their livestock stolen by raiders. To worsen the situation, the same government is intimidating the NPR, whose welfare is not taken care of as they are paid dismally. If the reservists give up, I bet armed criminals will have a field day,” said Mr Chepchomei.
Security chiefs and administrators from Baringo County during a security meeting led by the Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen at Kampi Samaki in Baringo North on May 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech Nation
In March last year, a herder was shot dead in Ng’aratuko Primary School in Baringo North Sub-County barely 20kms from Loruk, at the border of Baringo North and Tiaty Sub-Counties where the then Interior CS Kithure Kindiki (now deputy president) was having a closed door meeting with the regional security team.
In 2017, Ng’orora location (Baringo North) Chief Thomas Chebor Ruttok was gunned down by armed bandits when he was on his way to Chepkokel to recover stolen livestock.
