Tension as bandits kill elderly man in Isiolo

Tension is high in Kambi Samaki in Garbatulla, Isiolo County following the killing of an elderly man by armed bandits from a neighbouring county.

The criminals ambushed Abdi Buke, 70, while grazing his 250 goats near Benane.

Eyewitnesses said, the suspects assaulted Mzee Buke before hacking him with an axe and driving away his animals.

He succumbed to the injuries at Garbatulla Sub-County Referral Hospital.

Residents who rushed Mzee Buke to the hospital recovered a blunt wooden stick and a blood stained axe that the suspected criminals used during the Tuesday evening incident, about five kilometres from Garbatulla town.

Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding said the police in hot pursuit of the attackers.

 “We will ensure all the criminals are brought to book and the livestock recovered,” Mr Omoding said.

He revealed that 50 out of 90 National Police Reservists to be deployed across the county will be sent to hotspot areas in Garbatulla to deal with the insecurity.

Also read: Tension as herders forcefully invade Meru village

This is in addition to 130 NPRs that were previously deployed.

A local peace committee member Adan Denge said it was sad that after allowing herders from a neighbouring county to graze their livestock in Isiolo, they were ‘unleashing terror’ on local residents.

He claimed most of the herders from the neighbouring counties had illegal firearms that they were using to terrorise the residents.

“There is competition over resources due to drought. We are afraid that the attacks are happening close to busy towns such as Garbatulla,” he said.

The residents accused the security team of laxity in responding to the attacks saying police officers arrived at the scene three hours after they were informed.

“The attack happened while we (local elders) were having a peace meeting around noon but the response was made hours later making it hard to rescue Mzee’s life,” an elder, Hassan Demo told journalists.