MPs, journalists stuck in Kapedo after attack by gunmen

Three Members of Parliament, four journalists and several professionals from Turkana South are putting up at a GSU camp in Kapendo after the area was surrounded by heavily armed gunmen who shot and killed senior police officers on Sunday.

MPs James Lomenen (Turkana South), Ali Lokiru (Turkana East) and John Lodepe Nakara (Turkana Central) were among a team that had travelled to Kapedo to distribute food to residents who had been displaced from their village by the gunmen, who have been torching houses in area over the past two weeks.

The legislators were forced to put up in Kapedo after the gunmen waylaid a convoy they were in as they drove towards Chemolingot after distributing food.

GSU Superintendent Emadau Tebakol was shot and killed during the ambush in Ameiyen. Two other officers were seriously injured.

“After the attack on the vehicles which were ahead of us, and just 7 kilometres from Kapedo, we had to return to Kapedo Centre and now we are just holed up in the GSU camp. We slept inside our vehicles,” MP Lomenen told the Nation on phone.

Six days

The ongoing standoff began six days ago, as gunmen believed to be from Tiaty raided Kapedo, forcing security officers to evacuate four school, among them Kapedo Primary School, Kapedo Girls Primary School, Lomelo Primary School and Kapedo Secondary School.

The gunmen have been targeting security personnel and civilians and so far, five people, including a 76-year-old-man, a woman and a child who were ambushed at a watering point at Lomelo have been killed. Many others have been injured.

Tension remains high as Kapedo town remained deserted for the better part of Monday. The Kapedo- Lomelo-Kainuk and Kapedo-Chemolingot-Marigat roads have been rendered impassable due to insecurity.

“Kapedo is now under the watch of the General Service Unit, the Rapid Deployment Unit and the National Police Reservists. There are Military personnel here too and we are just waiting for them to give us a way forward,” Mr Lomenen told the Nation.

Poor roads

NTV Cameraman Peter Warutumo said poor roads in the area made it difficult both for civilians and security personnel to travel, especially during armed conflicts.

“The terrain is hilly and the roads are poor. The fastest you can drive is 10 to 20 kilometres per hour. The gunmen usually hide in bushes and at that speed, you can easily be killed,” he said.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya said that currently, the government is strategising how to restore peace in the area.

He said that peace talks and gentle diplomacy had failed in the village that lies at the border of Turkana and Baringo counties and that a different strategy would be employed. He did not divulge details.

Mr Natembeya blamed politicians for furling the conflicts, alleging that the bandits reign with impunity because they are supported by political leaders.

“We began a disarmament exercise last year with promises of amnesty, but only 20 serviceable guns were surrendered, yet we are aware that there are thousands others in the hands of illegal holders within the community in Kapedo. Twenty is just a drop in the ocean. The shooting on Sunday is a pointer that disarmament has not netted enough guns” Mr Natembeya said.

He said that the bandits do not want police presence in the area because they want to instil fear among members of the other communities and force them to vacate the villages.