LAIKIPIA, Kenya, Sep 6 – Just days after hundreds of people fled their homes in Ol Moran area in Laikipia county following incessant banditry attacks, another person was killed on Sunday night.
According to preliminary reports, close to 10 armed people stormed Mikinduri village shooting dead a 46-year-old Peter Njuguna, who had on the previous day fled his home in Mirigwite village.
The deceased had sought refuge at his brother’s home when bandits threatened to end his life and that of his family on Saturday if they did not vacate their homes.
The village is located just two kilometers from Ol Moran township.
According to the deceased’s brother George Ndung’u and son, the deceased pleaded for his family’s life and even offered to pay the bandits in order to set them free.
“He offered the over 10 men bandits money and pleaded with them to spare his life but they refused and shot him dead on the chest, they also took his money,” they said.
The survivors have since sought refuge at the Ol Moran Catholic Church.
Meanwhile in the same village, another person identified as David Kerore is nursing gunshot wounds on the hand and chest after bandits descended on his home firing indiscriminately.
“The incident occurred just a few minutes to 9 pm, that is when my husband was shot, they bandits also made away with four calves and sheep,” said the victim’s wife Damaris Kerore.
He has since been admitted at the Ol Moran Health centre.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i has revealed that the National Security Advisory Council (NSAC) chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday resolved to declare the Laikipia Nature Conservancy and its environs as a disturbed area and therefore a security operation zone.
A dusk to dawn curfew has been declared in the area.
“All leaders including politicians, businessmen, public officers and others who have illegally moved their livestock into the conflict zone to remove the same from there within 48 hours,” said Matiang’i in a statement.
The Service Party (TSP) leader Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri has called for the return of Kenya Police Reservists in the volatile Laikipia region.
Kiunjuri who is the former MP for Laikipia East says that the presence of law enforcement officials in the region has not ‘scared’ the bandits, adding that arming KPR would be the best strategy to apply in curbing the attacks.
“When we had our home guards, there were no cases of attack, this is because no police office would agree to enter into a forest to face the attackers, but these home guards can,” said Kiunjuri.
Tension remains high in Ol Moran area with five people being killed in the last six days.
Several schools among them Survey Primary and Secondary school, Mirango, Ndunyu Loi, Magadi, Mirigwite primary schools have since been forced to close due to the raging violence.
On Saturday, close to 50 houses were torched after bandits stormed the 100 acre Kisii Ndogo village.
The National Security Advisory Council (NSAC) decided to change tact and send more boots to the ground after close to 10 deaths allegedly at the hands of marauding bandits in the area.
The breaking point came weeks after the government called for a ceasefire and the surrender of illegal firearms came Friday after a standard 8 pupil at Mirango Primary School sustained gunshot wounds on the leg after an unknown number of armed bandits descended on her home at Mirango village,firing indiscriminately.
The incident occurred at around 7 pm Thursday last week.
The victim’s father,Simon Gakuru says her daughter is in stable condition at the Sipili Nursing home.
During the series of attacks, 31-year-old,Cyrus Gataka was shot dead after bandits raided his home in Ngare Naro village home.
Days earlier, a farmhand was also shot dead just a few kilometers in Ratia farm.
On Friday Interior PS Dr. (Eng.) Karanja Kibicho said the Government will change tact in its approach to insecurity in the county after various interventions it has deployed so far failed to restore peace.
The PS described the latest killing as the breaking point of the government’s patience.
“The Cabinet Secretary issued an order, but we haven’t seen the desired response. We have tried persuasion and diplomatic approaches in vain. The Regional Commissioner is on the ground negotiating on our behalf, but nothing positive seems forthcoming. This is a matter we are now taking very seriously,” he said.
Kibicho also questioned local leaders’ commitment to peace efforts in Laikipia and neighboring counties.
He regretted that the area leaders have previously frustrated peace efforts and warned that the Government will implement necessary decisions to be arrived at in Saturday’s meeting even if they are unpopular with the political class.
Area leaders however blamed police for not taking adequate measures to restore normalcy and apprehended suspect bandits.
Ol Moran area is among seven others gazetted by government and classified as dangerous and unsafe.
Areas under government surveillance include: the Laikipia Nature Conservancy owned by conservationist Kuki Gullman in Laikipia West, government-owned ranches; ADC Mutara ranch in Laikipia West and 80,000 – acre Kilmon farm, Mugie ranch, Loisaba and Kirimon Nature National Reserve in Laikipia North.
Recently in meeting with Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya leaders faulted the government’s decision to withdrawn National Police Reservists saying armed bandits took advantage of the vacuum to terrorize residents.
Natembeya however announced plans by the government to redeploy the police reservists in a bid to reinforce the security team already running operation on the ground particularly in areas classified as volatile.
“The motive of the armed criminals is to displace residents from their land..the government will however not allow this,” said Natembeya.
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