Two more killed in Isiolo as one-week death toll rises to 11
Two people were killed on June 20, 2022 at Manyatta Zebra in Ngaremara by bandits suspected to have come from neighbouring Samburu County.
Two more people have been killed and an unknown number of animals stolen in a bandit attack at Manyatta Zebra in Isiolo County.
County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding said the bandits, suspected to have come from a neighbouring county, raided the village on Monday morning and fled with the animals towards Samburu East.
“Officers from the General Service Unit and National Police Reservists are pursuing the criminals, who crossed towards the Samburu side,” Mr Omoding said, assuring residents that the security team was determined to ensure the attackers were dealt with.
The deaths bring to 11 the number of people killed by raiders in Isiolo in the last 10 days.
Four people, among them a mother and her two children aged one and 10, were gunned down last Saturday by bandits while asleep at their home in Dogogicha, a week after five locals were killed in separate attacks in Bulle and Kom Durte.
Residents and local leaders have decried the recent spate of attacks and accused the government of failing to stop the senseless killings.
Isiolo North MP hopeful Mwenda Thuranira (PNU) asked security organs to address the insecurity promptly.
Mr Thuranira questioned why the State was not using the intelligence reports it gets to bring the culprits to book and avert more attacks.
“There is negligence on the government side. The State has enough machinery to deal with insecurity and prevent the loss of lives and properties,” he said.
Competition over resources, an expansionist agenda and political incitement are some of the causes of the conflicts between pastoralists in Isiolo and neighbouring counties.
An operation to weed out criminals and seize illegal firearms in Kom is in its second month.
Leaders and residents are worried about how security organs are handling banditry cases, with some questioning the government’s capability to authoritatively deal with lawlessness.
“The frequency of the attacks is creating fear and the perception that the government is unable to deal with insecurity,” said Mr Hassan Mohammed, a businessman.
Isiolo North MP Hassan Odha recently asked the government to extend the security operation to other troubled areas to flush out criminals who continue to unleash terror with impunity.
