A 70-year-old woman was on Tuesday afternoon shot dead by bandits suspected to be from a neighbouring county.
The bandits have since Monday night unleashed terror on motorists along Kitale - Lodwar road as well as residents of Kainuk town and surrounding villages that are located in Turkana South Sub-County.
According to Kainuk Location Chief Sarah Lochodo, the deceased woman identified as Atoot Nakalia from Nadapal village was shot at 1pm when she was going to fetch water at a dry river bed near River Malimalite for domestic purposes.
"The woman, who was alone, had just arrived at Karenyang dry riverbed at the section where it joins River Malimalite before she was killed by armed bandits. They killed the woman and left without stealing anything," Ms Lochodo said.
The local administrator said Kenya Defence Forces officers were later seen heading towards the area to repulse the bandits.
Turkana County Commissioner Jacob Ouma, who is already in Turkana South Sub County to assess the security situation, confirmed that before the woman was attacked, tension was high within the Kainuk area following two incidents of highway bandit attacks on Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
Mr Ouma said that learning activities were today interrupted at Naregae Kamar Primary School in Kainuk/Lobokat Ward after residents claimed they had sighted armed bandits in the area.
"It's been confirmed that indeed learners had reported early in the morning at the school but rumours of bandits being near the school forced the management to temporarily turn away pupils out of fear of attack," he said.
Kenya National Union of Teachers Turkana Branch Chairman Kenyaman Eriong'oa called on the Ministry of Interior to provide adequate security to all schools along the border of Turkana and West Pokot Counties to assure learners and teachers of their safety.
"Without adequate security, there is no need for teachers and learners at border schools to prepare for end-term examinations. The management of the schools should just close their institutions until security is guaranteed," Mr Eriong'oa said.
During the two highway bandit attacks on vehicles that were heading to Lodwar from Kitale, it was confirmed that two drivers and a passenger were injured and are currently receiving treatment at Lodwar County and Referral Hospital.
