Nairobi, Kenya, Feb 21 – A security operation is currently underway in Kerio Valley after Pokot bandits killed a man on Sunday evening in the latest string of attacks in the area.
According to police, the victim was killed when the bandits attempted to steal grazing goats at Chepkutwa grazing field along the Turkwel electric powerline in Kipyebo sub location.
The Catechist at Kipyebo Catholic Church was fatally shot while he was returning home from grazing his goats.
“Officers from Mogil police station rushed to the scene and established that the raiders stalked one Marakwet male adult Reuben Kanda aged 35yrs from Kabasiran village who was returning home his goats from grazing field and fatally shot him on his back from behind and killed him instantly and no stock was stollen,” the police report stated.
The attackers are said to have fled to Tiaty sub-county following the attack that has elicited anger among a section of leaders from the region.
“Officers trailed the attackers to Kerio river where they crossed to Kimnai location of Tiaty west sub county in Baringo county. Tiaty west sub county security team informed to intercept them accordingly,” the report further read.
Police spokesperson Bruno Shioso told Capital FM News that they have upscaled security in the area to flush out the bandits who have continued to wreak havoc in the area.
‘We have an ongoing operation, but the terrain is harsh, and the dynamics of the problem is complex,” Shioso said.
The attack came two days after bandits targeted a convoy of three school buses with students from Tot Secondary School on resulting in the death of a driver and 15 injuries.
On Friday Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi vowed to recommend the categorization of the Pokot Warriors as an outlawed group.
Matiangi is expected to present the proposal to the National Security Council (NSC) following a spate of attacks in the North Rift region.
The CS said the recommended categorization will allow for more forceful interventions against the group which has wreaked havoc in the region.
“We will categorize them the same way we categorize Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) and the terror groups that we have in the country. What that means in terms of security is that we are going to apply a new level of force and fire to wipe out that organization,” Matiangi warned.
