Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Thursday February 27 revealed how a Kenyan who went rogue and attacked their Ethiopian neighbours, killing three, sparked a counter-attack that saw two dead and at least 20 still missing.
This, as two bodies that were recovered in Ethiopia on Wednesday in connection with the weekend Todonyang killings were buried in a mass graveyard where 42 Kenyans massacred during the May 2, 2011, broad daylight attack by militia from Ethiopia were buried.
The two bodies were recovered on Wednesday following a search and rescue operation at Lopeimukat village along the border of Kenya and Ethiopia.
Mr Murkomen had earlier Wednesday confirmed the bodies of a man and a woman estimated to be between the late 20s and early 30s, were recovered after the Ethiopian government gave Kenyan officials full access to the area, aiding the recovery and the continued search for the missing persons and boats.
On a further update on Thursday Mr Murkomen, while confirming the burial, called for calm and patience as the search and rescue of missing Kenyan fishermen continues.
He said a suspected criminal from Kenya killed three on the Ethiopian side, triggering a retaliatory attack.
“On Saturday, in the unfortunate incident, there was a rogue Kenyan who went to cause problems on the Ethiopian side from Kenya and the information we have now is that he killed three from the Ethiopian side,” said Mr Murkomen.
“We are yet to establish what happened and the number of those injured. We believe from the reports of missing persons filed by relatives we have more than 20 people still missing,” the CS said.
Mr Murkomen lauded the process that brokered a deal between Kenyan and Ethiopian authorities to allow access that resulted in the recovery of the two bodies.
This is after the government set up mechanisms to engage the Ethiopian authorities to facilitate access to the area, following his Monday visit to Todonyang.
According to the CS, the fact that the incident occurred outside Kenya’s territory complicated the initial response effort.
“The search and rescue of the missing persons is on and I will inform the country accordingly on progress,” he said on Thursday.
"After recovery, we transported the bodies from Lopeimukat village to Todonyang where we on the same day in the evening buried at the graveyard established by locals and Our Lady Queen of Peace Todonyang Mission of Catholic Diocese of Lodwar that evening," a local peace crusader Achegei Abdi Adan told Nation.Africa on Thursday.
The search and rescue operation by security personnel in Turkana is being supported by volunteers from border villages and Kenya Red Cross officials and local leaders, led by Turkana North MP Ekwom Nabuin and opinion leaders led by Humphrey Amoni.
The operation is still going on, with a section of residents saying delays in the recovery of more bodies will not properly give both governments a vivid picture of the magnitude of the attack that should be banked on to heighten security at the border.
Turkana Woman Representative Cecilia Ngitit said that the possibility of hiding bodies from Kenyan authorities by their counterparts should not be overlooked.
"There is no morgue at the Lopeimukat village. We suspect that the bodies might have been disposed of. My attempts to travel to the village were cut off by Turkana County security team that is why I decided to travel back to Lodwar," she said.
"Kenya Red Cross has established a table at Todonyang where families are searching for a total of 37 people and fishing equipment including boats," Ms Ngitit said.
Mr Murkomen assured that the government stands in solidarity with those who lost their loved ones and those whose family members are still unaccounted for.
"While poor communication on the Ethiopian side is compounding the search and rescue efforts, I commend officials from the two countries for their commitment and appeal to the families involved for calm and patience as the operation continues,” he said.
He thanked the Ethiopian government for allowing our officials full access to the area which has aided the recovery and the continued search for the missing persons and boats.
Kenya and Ethiopia authorities in a discussion before full access was given to Kenyan authorities to the attacked village resolved to establish lasting peace at the border to prevent further attacks.
The head of the Southern Ethiopian Regional Government Peace and Security Bureau led by Mr Wegene Bazuneh stated that it is possible to prevent conflicts that occur by building strong people-to-people relations around the border confirming that the regional government will work with a focus on ensuring lasting peace in the region.
Mr Wegene stated: "We should work together to solve conflicts based on natural resources. Conflicts that arise by establishing a strong data collection system can be prevented without causing serious damage."
Turkana County Commissioner Julius Kavita said that Ethiopia and Kenya are countries with strong strategic partnerships.
Mr Kavita said that conflicts along the border are based on the use of natural resources in the communities living around the border.
"We should work to solve the problems together and ensure sustainable peace around the border and create a strong economic bond for the citizens of the country," he said.
