The bandits that are now terrorising residents of the troubled Kerio Valley region are not your ordinary, illiterate criminal out to steal animals for fame or as a cultural requirement.
He is an armed, tech-savvy criminal coordinating attacks on social messaging apps like WhatsApp quite easily, and who can surf the internet to see what is being said about them, and by whom.
This is the picture being painted by residents who have so far lost 11 people and seen the displacement of hundreds of others in renewed attacks that have brought to an end two years of peace.
The raiders and bandits have turned digital, embracing mobile phone technology and social media to organise attacks and escape security patrols.
“Cell phones have proved convenient and reliable as raiders adopt fresh tactics of staging attacks. This makes it difficult for security team to crack down on criminals,” says Mr Mark Ajon Lokwawi from Lokiriama in Loima, Turkana County.
Most herders in the region, particularly youth aged between 18 and 40, own mobile phones.
“Most youths here are embracing technology. They are using social media like WhatsApp groups to advance their interests, including organising raids and circumventing security team,” says Mr Esekon Ekiru, a human rights activist.
Mr Ekiru linked the deadly attacks pitting pastoralists against one another to abuse of social media by the elites from warring communities.
“Some influential community members, especially those in urban areas, use the social media to incite communities against each other, which results in revenge attacks,” added Mr Ekiru.
The warriors use mobile technology to receive updates, including government plans for disarmament.
“The digital platform has made it easier for most people to obtain information in remote areas where newspapers are hard to get,” said Mr Zablon Natieng from Natira, Turkana West Sub-County.
There is also growing fear that the attacks are being fuelled by spiritual leaders, known as Laibons, who are on the spot for plotting the raids, administering oaths and blessing bandits who take part in attacks.
“The spiritual leaders administer oaths and offer blessings to bandits who participate in the attacks, reversing gains made in promoting peaceful co-existence among pastoral communities,” said Mr George Natembeya, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner during a security meeting in Tot in Marakwet East last Wednesday.
He asked spiritual leaders to either surrender or risk arrest over their involvement in the fresh armed conflicts.
“It is unfortunate that these Laibons even issue threats to security teams involved in the ongoing crackdown against criminals behind that attacks. According to our intelligence report, they had predicted that we will not hold a peace meeting here,” said Mr Natembeya, warning that the law will be tough against individuals who fuel the armed conflicts irrespective of their position in the society.
The Laibon are found among the Marakwet, Pokot and Turkana, among other Kalenjin and Nilotic communities and hold esteemed positions due to their supposed “supernatural” powers.
Two of the spiritual leaders were last year arrested in Baringo County and arraigned in court over their connection to banditry in the region.
The naming of suspects behind recurrent cattle raids and the ultimatum by the government for illegal gun owners to surrender their firearms has triggered fresh attacks among the pastoral communities.
A list of nine notorious bandits -- three from Pokot Central, three (Marakwet East) and three from Tiaty-Pokot East has been handed over to security teams, following series of peace meetings by law makers, elders and administrators from Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo counties.
“We have decided to name and shame those who are behind peace instability in the area. We cannot allow a few criminals to reverse gains made by the prevailing peace in the region. They must be arrested alive or dead,” said Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen during a previous peace meeting held at Chesogon market.
According to Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong, cattle theft is a well-coordinated network among pastoralists in the region.
“If you are from West Pokot County and you cross over to Elgeyo Marakwet to steal animals, we are very sure that you will not share the loot with the entire community but your close family. We will therefore come for you as a person and it is the responsibility of your relatives to disclose your hideout,” said Mr Lochakapong during the peace meeting.
Among those killed are two peace committee members from Endo, Marakwet East, who were shot dead last week by suspected Pokot bandits.
Desmond Kiptoo, a Grade Four pupil at Sobero Primary School in Marakwet East was shot dead while taking care of the family livestock along River Kerio.
“I do not understand why they had to kill such an innocent child. They should have taken away the animals and spared his life,” said Ms Salome Ruto, Kiptoo’s grandmother.
The boy was buried last week in an emotional ceremony attended by local leaders who called for a ceasefire among the warring communities.
“They spayed him with a lot of bullets as if he was a criminal. It pains me a lot considering he was my only boy,” said Mr Eliud Chemitoi, the boy’s father.
Among families mourning their loved ones killed in the retaliatory attacks is that of Benjamin Lokerem, the peace committee chairman of Kowowo location in Marakwet East, who was shot by suspected Pokot bandits two weeks ago.
“He was our bread winner and his killing spells doom to the family,” said Ms Bilaras Cheboi, his wife.
According to residents, the retaliatory attacks are impacting negatively on the socio-economic status of the two communities.
Development projects affected
“There are a lot of accusations and counter accusations on the actual cause of these attacks. Security teams need to pursue suspects behind the attacks and bring them to book,” said Mr Julius Changur, the late Lokerem’s brother.
The attacks have disrupted several development projects, including irrigation schemes being implemented by the government and aid agencies in Kerio Valley region.
This, even as governors from the region took issue with the government’s handling of the attacks.
Governors John Lonyangapuo (West Pokot), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Stanley Kiptis (Baringo) doubted the commitment of security agents in the hunt for criminals in Kerio Valley.
“The names of suspected bandits responsible for the armed conflict were handed over to security agents a long time ago, but they are still walking freely in the society. The government has ability and machinery to arrest and prosecute them, but has failed in its responsibility,” said Prof Lonyangapuo.
They opposed the planned disarmament to seize illegal firearms, terming it as punitive. They are instead rooting for dialogue and voluntary surrender of the weapons.
“The entire community cannot pay for sins committed by few criminals. It is unfortunate the government is yet to exploit its machineries in dealing with them. Forceful disarmament will be counterproductive,” added Prof Lonyangapuo.
While disclosing that the attacks were impacting negatively on socio-economic status of communities in the region, the governors termed the banditry attacks as ‘isolated’ cases and demanded intensified hunt for the criminals.
“There is no political solution to criminal activities that have resulted in loss of lives and property. We want the security team to deliver in its mandate and give peace a chance to allow us initiate programmes that will enable our people to create wealth,” said Mr Tolgos.
“How come these criminals have never been arrested yet their hideouts are known? They are still roaming around killing innocent people with impunity. This is not acceptable and they should be made to pay for their sins,” said Mr Kiptis.
He claimed that some unnamed individuals were supplying guns to youths in the volatile region and inciting them to stage retaliatory attacks for selfish gains.
But Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who visited the area on Tuesday, has issued a seven -day ultimatum to the warring communities to surrender the criminals of face disarmament.
“These criminals are within the society. You know them and it is either you surrender them in the next seven days or we shall act tough,” said Dr Matiang’i on Tuesday during the security meeting at Tot, and attended by leaders from the three counties.
He disclosed plans to delocalise the security team to address conflict of interest when cracking down on the criminals.
