Five years ago, while herding his cattle in the Cheptulel area, West Pokot County, David Mutai was shot by bandits who left him with an injury that saw him hospitalised for six months, and his arm amputated.
For Mutai, now 48, the amputation is a permanent scar, a painful memory of the bandit’s bullet that shattered his life.
“I no longer do heavy work because of my arm,” he told Nation.Africa when we paid him a visit at his home in Arpollo village, Chesegon area.
He said he still owes Sh500,000 at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret, having reduced the bill from Sh750,000.
Mutai is among hundreds of Kerio Valley residents with painful tales of their encounters with bandits who continue to terrorise them.
Akolipus Lopoliale, 60, a resident of Dungdung village in the Masol area of West Pokot County shows a scar on his leg after being shot by suspected bandits from Turkana County ten years ago, in this photo taken on February 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Oscar Kakai | Nation
Akolipus Lopoliale, 60, still remembers the day bandits shot him in the leg and abdomen in Nyangaita village and made off with his nine bulls.
A resident of Dungdung village in Masol District, he says he is scared every time he sees someone with a gun approaching him.
He spent more than Sh200,000 on medical treatment for the injuries, which left him with a scar on his abdomen.
"It is still fresh in my memory as if it happened today. Sometimes the scar on my stomach hurts, and I can't even go to the farm to cultivate. When I see the scar, I remember the fateful day when the bandits shot me and drove away my nine bulls," he recalls.
According to Mr Lopiliale, many people in the area have scars on their bodies.
"Some of us have terrible scars, and we have lost a lot of money on treatment. To date, I cannot walk long distances," he told Nation.Africa .
He said he was suffering in silence and called on the government to compensate all those shot by bandits.
Kiyer Ngoriangiro, 37, a resident of Lomortown village in Sigor, West Pokot County, shows a scar on his hand after being shot by suspected bandits from Turkana County in 2015, in this photo taken on February 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Oscar Kakai | Nation
In Sigor sub-county, 37-year-old Kiyer Ngoriangiro, a father of 12 and a resident of Lomrotown, also recalls how he almost lost his life to the bandit's bullet in 2015.
He has a scar on his hand and told Nation.Africa that it took five years for his hand to heal. Since the encounter, his life has never been the same.
"I no longer do heavy work because of the injury I sustained to my hand," he said.
"The scar on my hand makes me feel bad and unwanted. Sometimes when my children ask me about the scar, I am at a loss for words to explain that I was protecting my animals from being stolen by bandits," he said.
On the fateful day, two people were shot dead by bandits in the Masol area.
"I spent a lot of money on medical treatment. At first, I used herbal medicine, but the wound on my hand got worse and I had to go to the hospital for conventional medicine," he said, noting that many residents have scars from bandit attacks but are afraid to show or talk about them.
Geoffrey Kisuri is another victim in the Cheptulel area along the West Pokot- Elgeyo Marakwet border, still struggling to erase memories of his encounter with bandits who injured his left leg, and who was also amputated.
He moved to the Chesta area with his family after being attacked and his livestock stolen, and now struggles to feed his family of seven.
“I have an artificial leg, and it is not easy because if the bandits ever attack again, I cannot even run,” he said, fighting tears.
According to the survivor, many people, including the assistant chief, have fled their homes. It does not help that police have been slow in responding to attacks, he said.
“We are not safe here. Many children have dropped out since their parents fled. We were promised that our schools would be protected, but this has not been done,” he told Nation.Africa.
At the Sarmach area along the West Pokot- Turkana border point, Lokedurus Losieruku has a permanent scar from the bandit’s bullet on his right leg, while 24-year-old Pkew Losia from the Cheptulel area bears a wound on the lower limbs.
Losia’s wound is a reminder of the single gunshot which penetrated through the left thigh and lodged inside the right thigh six years ago.
The survivor, who suffered bilateral fractures on the right and left thigh, recalls that it was a tense moment when bandits sprayed bullets on innocent people.
His brother, Stephen Losia, recalled that bandits ambushed locals while picking mangoes and sprayed bullets on him since he was not able to run.
“The five-armed bandits thought they had killed my brother, but fortunately he did not succumb to the gunshots and was saved after being rushed to hospital,” he said. He was first attended at Sigor sub-County Hospital and later referred to Kapenguria County Referral Hospital.
"The place is hostile, and the bandits are well armed. People don't have food and have even migrated from their homes. They just went to harvest their mangoes only to meet with bandits," he said.
"We don't think we will ever go back to that hostile area, because they will come back to attack us since we identified them. If security is not restored, no development will ever take place," he said.
Repeated attacks have left a trail of death and destruction, widows and orphans, deserted homes, and tens of people living with various forms of disabilities suffered after gunshot injuries from the bandit’s bullet.
The number of those disabled by the bandit’s bullet has been rising over the years in the region, and many struggle to foot hospital bills when they seek medical attention.
Kiyer Ngoriangiro, 37, a resident of Lomortown village in Sigor, West Pokot County, shows a scar on his hand after being shot by suspected bandits from Turkana County in 2015, in this photo taken on February 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Oscar Kakai | Nation
Concerned local leaders are disappointed with the government over the escalating number of people disabled by the bandits’ bullets.
“Our people need compensation because they are in agony as a result of gunshots in banditry attacks,” said Deputy Governor Robert Komolle.
“Many are nursing gunshot injuries. Others are blind or lame. Sadly, government aid never reaches these people. They are completely forgotten," he regretted.
Kasei Ward Member of County Assembly Francis Loboo called for increased security in the North Rift region to curb the rising incidents of disability due to violence.
“People have been disabled after being shot," he lamented.
A Nominated Member of the County Assembly, Mr Francis Loboo, emphasized that the government should prioritize the welfare of those disabled by the bandit’s bullet.
"We are not happy. The President should listen to us," she said.
