Attacks persist despite KDF presence in volatile area

From the time we entered Sibilo, a dusty settlement in Loruk, Baringo County, the tension in the air was tangible.

We were welcomed by the exodus of hundreds of local residents with their goats and cattle following an attack in Cheseran and Borsuswo villages.

A thin cloud of dust could be seen rising in the horizon. And when it came closer, we saw hundreds of goats trudging along the bushy paths, their bleats reflecting their fatigue from a long journey, as well as hunger and thirst.

Already,Natan, Kagir,Yatia, Kosile, Chemoe, Loruk,Barketew,Tuluk and Ngaratuko villages, all in Baringo North Constituency, have been abandoned for fear of fresh attacks. An area that was home to more than 2,000 people has turned into a ghost settlement in a matter of days.

Francis Changowny, a resident of Ngaratuko whom we met along the Loruk-Sibilo road, said that attackers suspected to be from West Pokot county, struck his village on the night of December 14 and drove away more than 400 goats.

Houses were also razed and terrified villagers have been fleeing since then.

“I am looking for a place where I will find peace for my seven children. We left behind everything, including food, clothing and household good,” Changowny says as his eyes dart from side to side, perhaps an indication of a man not sure of his safety.

Moving deeper into Yatia, we met dozens of men along the river banks. They were watching out for their dreaded neighbours who continue to unleash untold terror, killing at will and stealing livestock.

As our vehicle came to a stop, one by one, they hesitantly stepped out of the bush, each one holding a bow and arrows, which they say are their only means of protection.

“We had given intelligence reports to the police at Loruk since Sunday, warning them that the Pokot were planning an attack, but they did little. They didn’t respond; they told me they had no fuel for their vehicle,” said Samwel Kamuren, the assistant chief of Loruk.

“We’ve been left on our own. Our only hope are four police reservists who are too ill-equipped to take care of the vast area. There is also a communication network problem, so coordination is difficult.”

Grazing land

Baringo County Commissioner Peter Okwanyo says Pokot militia have been conducting successful raids in the county more than twice a week. He said the destination of the stolen animals remained a puzzle.

The attacks and constant tension happen despite the presence of the Kenya Defence Forces personnel deployed in the area in October by President Uhuru Kenyatta to flush out illegally held weapons in West Pokot county.

Sadly, the bandits, who residents say are waging territorial warfare to gain land for grazing, appear to have overwhelmed the security forces.

“The bandits attacked us in Ngaratuko on Sunday night even with military officers with armoured vehicles at the nearby Loruk Trading Centre. They don’t fear the soldiers,” said Francis Changwony, a displaced village elder.

A week before that attack, unknown assailants had laid an ambush at Kesiela along the rarely used Mochongoi-Marigat road and killed Peter Kokoon, a renowned retired Kenya Defence Forces sniper, alongside his son but spared his daughter.

The slain soldier, a resident of Loruk, at the border of Baringo North and Tiaty, was coming from his Mochongoi farm when he was ambushed. The killers later burnt the bodies and torched the vehicle the victims had been travelling in in what residents believe was a case of mistaken identity.

Petrified residents of Baringo North are now pleading with the Government to disperse some of the millitary personnel currently based in Kapedo to their region.

“It is our humble cry to the government to deploy KDF to Ngarauko and Yatia to restore peace at the volatile border with West Pokot county. Otherwise, we may lose our land and the 13 primary schools we have built,” said Kamuren.

Devastated residents, many of whom have camped at Ckepkewel Primary School, have accused area MP William Cheptumo of playing politics with their suffering since 2008 when he was first elected to Parliament.

“Cheptumo has never done anything to shield us, the people he represents, from cattle rustling. He has never visited us since 2008,” said Robert Keitany, a displaced resident.

Mariah Sote, 70, a displaced grandmother from Borsuso, posed: “We want to know what our MP is doing in Parliament to cushion us from frequent attacks. He only speaks when we are already in bushes. Why doesn’t he protect us while we are still living in our homes?”

However, Cheptumo told the Standard on Sunday that he is preparing to bring a motion to the House as soon as Parliament resumes in February.

The motion, the MP said, seeks to criminalise cattle rustling and bring it to the level of terrorism.

“I have been at the forefront in offering help when my people are attacked. We cannot speak about insecurity all the time; when there is insecurity, I speak about insecurity, and when there is peace, I focus on development,” he added.

He also called for the deployment of more KDF personnel to the volatile area.

“I am working with several agencies and the county government to distribute relief food to the affected families as we endeavour to promote peace,” Cheptumo said.

Even as most Kenyans enjoy the festive season, hundreds of families in this semi-arid area are not only homeless, but are also at risk of contracting diseases because health centres have closed down.

Saimo/Soi County Assembly Member Richard Kampala, whose area is greatly affected, has also warned that there is a food shortage.

“The victims of the bandits need food, and so the Government should deploy more security officers in the area,” said the MCA.