One killed by raiders soon after North Rift peace talks
Wycliffe Kipsang
Peace efforts in the banditry- prone North Rift have been derailed after armed raiders killed one person in Mukutani in Baringo South sub-county.
The attack, on Friday, which also left two people with serious injuries, came barely 48 hours after Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya held a meeting with leaders from the porous border region.
Natembeya issued a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing operation in Tiaty sub-county to give leaders a chance to preach peace.
During the daring dawn attack, an unknown number of armed men raided the village and shot indiscriminately, killing the 60-year-old man on the spot.
Among those injured is a woman who sustained injuries in the head and a child who was shot on the leg.
They are admitted at the Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet while the body of the deceased is lying at the same facility’s mortuary.
Residents fleeing
Tension remains high in Mukutani with residents said to be fleeing the area for fear of more attacks.
Natembeya issued the directive to stop the security operation following during a meeting held at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort where Pokot leaders among them Tiaty MP William Kamket made the request.
“We scaling down the ongoing operation for 30 days. This follows a request by leaders to be allowed to talk to their people to maintain peace,” said Natembeya.
Other Pokot leaders who attended the meeting included: West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo and Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio.
The leaders appealed for forgiveness and 30 days of ceasefire in the ongoing operation.
“Our people have suffered during the security operation. We appeal for the exercise to be stopped to give peace efforts a chance,” said Kamket.
Others included Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and Baringo Woman Representative Gladwell Cheruiyot.
The government rolled out the security operation to flush out bandits after a GSU operation commander was killed in Ameyan area near the porous Kapedo while two other officers were seriously injured.
The massive disarmament was being carried out in the insecurity prone hotspots of Ameyan, Paka, Silale, Nadome, Kapau, Chesitet and Kapedo.
Locals in Baringo South sub-county yesterday expressed fears that the scaling down of the operation will expose them to armed criminals wreaking havoc in the region.
