There are growing fears that the deadly attacks in the insecure counties of the North Rift region are mutating from banditry raids and disputes over water and pasture to conflicts over resource management following the discovery of oil and precious minerals.
The warring Pokot, Turkana, Tugen and Illchamus communities are fighting for control of areas they believe contain oil, geothermal energy or precious minerals such as limestone, as well as land along the agriculturally rich Kerio River belt.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the bandits' change of tactics to shoot to kill in what are believed to be retaliatory attacks by warring pastoralist communities in the region.
“We are seeing a new wave of banditry in Kerio Valley, which has mutated from the archaic stock theft to land and boundary feuds and highway robberies. We have had a recent wave of attacks on motorists and traders along Marigat-Chemolingot road in Baringo, which is also linked to economic sabotage of some neighbouring communities,” said CS Murkomen when he led a senior security team and the national government administration officials in a peace meeting in Chesongoch, Kerio Valley.
The meeting was attended by Inspector-General of Police (IG) Douglas Kanja, Deputy IG Eliud Lagat, Regional Commissioner Hassan Abdi and security teams from Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo counties.
“Land is emerging as a serious source of conflict being perpetrated by youth below 18 after dropping out of school. The issue of issue of scramble to control such resources like land and the emerging highway robberies needs proper investigations that will lead to lasting peace solution,” said the CS.
A national police reservist escorts pupils of Kapindasum Primary School in Arabal, Baringo County to Chemorongion trading centre to board a bus to their homes.
Photo credit: Nation
He insisted that individuals linked to the new wave of the incessant attacks would be arrested and charged in court.
“We will deal with the issue precisely and anyone who is involved, either civilians or police reservists, will be arrested. We are also targeting those who fuel the attacks, irrespective of their positions, we will take firm legal action against them to make sure we solve the issue once and for all,” he added.
In the recent past, armed criminals in the volatile villages of the troubled Kerio Valley have changed tactics from the usual cattle rustling to ambushing and shooting pedestrians and motorists passing through the insecure areas.
Residents of the affected areas in Baringo North and Tiaty constituencies have expressed concern that they are no longer able to go about their daily activities for fear of the armed criminals roaming the villages and killing anyone on sight.
According to the affected locals, the Marigat-Chemolingot, Loruk-Kagir, Yatya-Chemoe and Ng'aratuko-Kagir roads are now impassable and have become death traps for motorists due to the presence of the armed assailants who hide in the bushes to unleash terror.
Local leaders and residents of the affected villages now claim that the killings are no longer the usual cattle rustling and banditry, but are now being used by the criminals to unleash terror and forcibly remove the locals from the villages.
They claimed that now the criminals don't steal cattle but enter the villages, kill and disappear into the thick bush, a tactic the criminals have devised to unleash terror and drive them out.
“This is not the archaic livestock raid as it used to be in the past, but it has now transformed into something else. They kill people to instil fear and force them out of the area so that they can settle in the abandoned areas,” said Richard Chepchomei from Chemoe village in Baringo North.
Charles Kiptoon, an elder from the bandit-prone village of Ng'aratuko, lamented that dozens of people had been killed before the mass exodus, with boreholes, schools and houses demolished to keep the locals away.
“The ambush and killing of people by bandits in this area is very common in the recent past and we suspect that this has no connection with usual raids. This is purely criminality aimed at displacing the locals so that the attackers from the neighbouring community expand their territories,” said Mr Kiptoon.
Several people, including security officers, women and children, have been killed in the troubled North Rift region in what was initially thought to be an archaic cattle theft, but is now turning into a criminal enterprise where people are sometimes gunned down by criminals who don't steal anything.
The latest incident occurred on Monday when one person was shot dead and four others injured in a fresh bandit attack along the insecure Marigat-Loruk road.
Security officers in an armoured personnel carrier patrol in Baringo South on March 8, 2022.
Photo credit: File | Nation
The incident happened at 8am on Monday when armed criminals attacked a convoy escorted by security officers attached to the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) at Sibilo Lions junction on its way from Chemolingot in Tiaty to Marigat town in neighbouring Baringo South sub-county.
According to Baringo North Sub-County Police Commander Mohammed Abdi, the criminals fired several shots at the convoy, killing a 22-year-old woman who was sitting on the left front passenger seat.
“Armed criminals suspected to be from the Tugen community attacked a convoy at Sibilo Lions junction that was being escorted by security officers from the RDU, who were heading from Chemolingot to Marigat town. The attackers fired several rounds on the convoy whereby one unidentified woman was fatally shot on the left side of the rib,” said Mr Abdi.
“Four others, including two minors, a primary school girl and a secondary school student sustained injuries and have been taken to the Baringo County Referral hospital in Kabarnet for treatment.”
Among the injured are Dalmas Cherum, a driver who was shot in the left hand and elbow, and Caleb Achio, 17, a Form Four student who was shot in the right rib.
Others are Nicholas Kipchumba, 35, a truck driver who was injured in his left ankle, and a 13-year-old primary school girl who was injured in her right foot.
“The injured persons are undergoing treatment at the Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet and the body has also been taken to the facility’s morgue. Multi-agency security teams are pursuing the culprits,” said the Sub-County police boss.
The attack brings to 13 the number of people shot dead by bandits in the insecure Kerio Valley since the beginning of the year.
Baringo County Police Commander Julius Kiragu also expressed concern that the criminals have now changed their tactics from the usual cattle rustling to ambushing motorists plying the Marigat-Chemolingot road.
This follows a series of attacks in areas of Loruk where the bandits have been targeting motorists and traders using the route to either Marigat or Chemolingot towns.
“The criminals attacked a lorry that was ferrying goods to Chemolingot in Tiaty West a week ago. What is happening is no longer banditry but highway robberies, mostly carried out by young boys in the insecurity prone areas. We are, however, assuring locals of their safety because we have intensified patrols along the road and other affected areas,” said Mr Kiragu.
Baringo County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa said due to the spate of attacks on motorists and traders, they had decided to provide police escorts to motorists and traders plying the Marigat-Chemolingot road.
“Due to previous attacks a few weeks ago, we had decided to provide police escort to motorists and traders plying the Marigat-Chemolingot road. This morning, we received reports that some traders who were being escorted were ambushed by criminals. Police who were in the convoy responded. Unfortunately, two people were killed while another sustained injuries in the incident,” said Mr Kutwa.
