Baragoi town rises from ashes of banditry, deadly ethnic conflicts

A group of young mothers from Samburu County undergoing technical training at the Baragoi technical and vocational training institute under Ujuzi Mashinani programme that targets young mothers and morans to equip them with skills that would enable them get alternative means of livelihood. [Michael Saitoti, Standard]

Baragoi in Samburu County gained notoriety for its violence fuelled by cattle rustling that at one time led to the massacre of 44 police officers.

Tucked away in the rugged terrain of Northern Kenya, the area has been ravaged by conflict for years since the 2000s, earning the scenic Suguta Valley the sobriquet of “the Valley of Death.”

Hundreds of villagers and security officers have lost their lives in the senseless conflict pitting ethnic groups fighting over grazing land and watering points.

But in the past three years, guns have gone silent. And the town, like a phoenix, is rising from the ashes.

Residents have witnessed the opening of the first supermarket, and the previously warring Samburu and Turkana communities can be seen interacting as they shop.

Muchemi Njeru, a businessman from Central Kenya says: “We are enjoying the peace after years of killings. The guns have gone silent. Baragoi is open for business.”

When Njeru first set foot in Baragoi in 1999, the environment was hostile to business.

“I would open my shop at 9am and close at noon as gunshots rang the air and everyone scampered for safety. It was rare for a day to pass without killings and theft of livestock,” he recalls.

And now, Njeru says, there is a supermarket where people from different ethnic backgrounds interact to buy food and other items.

Abigail Eria and Sarah Lekadaa, vegetable vendors operating a few metres from the supermarket, agree with Njeru that things have changed for the better in Baragoi Town.

The duo say for the first time in many years, there is peace and the town is quiet.

“No more lying on our stomachs whenever we hear gunshots. In the past,” says Eria.

“We lost our children in the senseless killings. That has now changed. We are a free society,” adds Lekadaa.

Lekadaa says armed bandits in the past roamed the town in broad daylight, brandishing their weapons and shooting indiscriminately.

Samburu County Police Commander Thomas Ototo says members of the Samburu and Turkana communities now live in harmony.

“Now they mingle, shop together and embrace each other. The area is peaceful,” Ototo told the Standard in an interview on Tuesday.

He said security officers are working with local leaders and members of the two communities to sustain the peace.

“This is a new Baragoi where people have learned to embrace peace and live in harmony. We intend to continue this way,” Ototo said.

The police boss blames the proliferation of illegal guns in the hands of civilians for the deadly cattle raids that plagued the region for decades.

“The operation to mop up illegal firearms was a success. Some of the firearms were surrendered willfully while others were confiscated,” Ototo said.

Ototo said booming business had breathed a new lease of life in Baragoi Town. Samburu North MP Eli Letipila said the area has recently witnessed an influx of investors.

“As leaders we are now talking to our people, pointing out to them the huge potential in the region and how we can benefit from the resources that we have,” said the lawmaker.

Letipila said the County Government of Samburu had deployed surveyors in the area to demarcate the land.