By Job Weru
Samburu, Kenya: The raging conflict in Samburu County is more than just normal cattle rustling.
Attacks are carried out almost every day, leaving a trail of blood and death.
Bodies are rotting in bushes, with hyenas mauling others, as over 10,000 people remain displaced.
Despite the displacement, IDPs are still living in fear of more attacks from both the Samburu and Turkana communities.
When The Standard toured the area last week, families that survived previous attacks were busy moving with their property.
Surprisingly, more attacks and counter attacks were being carried out.
The turmoil is so serious that barely an hour after The Standard and KTN crew passed Suyian and Barseloi areas in Samburu North Sub-County, suspected Turkana raiders attacked Mabati, which is located between the two areas, and injured a girl.
Along the way, we found a group of youths who were herding livestock while armed with rifles. The morans were not even afraid to show off their guns as we passed by.
However, leaders from both warring communities appear to have taken a hardline stance.
The communities are left to conduct their own ‘reconciliation’, which is only causing more death, injury and misery.
Baragoi Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Fred Kitema accuses the leaders of failing to resolve the crisis by refusing to call for dialogue.
Kitema says there has been increased conflict since last year’s massacre where more than 40 security agents were killed in Suguta Valley, but insists that only political will help end the crisis.
“We are present in the area and we have security agents. We have already issued a two-week ultimatum for all guns to be returned, but none has been surrendered. The guns include those which were stolen from the murdered police officers and homeguards,” said Kitema.
A senior police officer in charge of the operation, Mr Anthony Kamitu, said they were waiting for orders to commence disarmament, which will cover both the Samburu and the Turkana.
Kamitu and Kitema said the Government intelligence indicated that the stolen guns are being held by both the Samburu and Turkanas.
“We are ready and we want to tell them that we are experts in collecting illegal rifles,” said Kamitu.
But security sources told The Standard that the impending disarmament has been postponed at least three times after leaders from Samburu community opposed the exercise.
The leaders allegedly wanted only Turkanas disarmed, whom they claim had guns stolen from massacred police officers.
According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, over 10,000 people have been displaced.
“So far, the situation is still very tense and attacks are being carried out every day. More than 10,000 people have been displaced, about 8,000 of them children,” said Mr Gitonga Mugambi, the KRCS coordinator in Samburu County.
Armed confrontations
Mugambi said since last year’s massacre, 61 people have been shot dead in armed confrontations, while 90 others, some of them children, have been injured.
“We thank our KRCS volunteers who have been monitoring the situation, and also the Government and county leaders who have helped evacuate the injured to Nairobi for specialised treatment,” said Mugambi.
Also, various schools have been closed down in the volatile area.
In at least three villages which we visited, children looked sickly, while some mothers claimed they gave birth in the bush.
“We also need blankets, tents, water jericans among others, since we fled with only a few clothes,” said Sunvan Lekasuiyan.
