AN estimated 92 people were feared dead after bandits staged two heavy counter-raids in areas along the borders between Pokot East, Turkana and Samburu.
Among the dead were 51 Pokots and 42 from the Turkana community, of whom more than 20 are women and children.
At least 46 of them were killed and scores injured after a raid by bandits believed to be from Turkana on a village in the Nadome area on the Turkana-East Pokot border.
A fight between herders from the two communities led to the killing of more people. Eight other people were shot dead in a village on the border between Samburu and Turkana East.
Heavily armed raiders suspected to be from Samburu attacked Nakoriakwang village, killing seven people and stealing more than 600 livestock.
Two government helicopters were used to carry out surveillance in the affected areas yesterday, but fighting was still going on in the affected areas as the authorities made efforts to quell the situation.
“It’s death, death, death all over and the security situation in this region is scary,” said Turkana East MP Nicholas Ngikor.
Top security officers from Nakuru flew to the affected areas, which are inaccessible due to poor roads, lack of a communication network and prone to banditry.
Rift Valley regional commissioner Osman Warfa confirmed the attacks took place and many people were feared dead.
“We have deployed additional security in the affected areas,” said Warfa.
Yesterday lorries ferrying Kenya Defence Forces and the Kenya Police officers were seen heading to the conflict areas.
Additional security personnel were deployed along the Turkana East and East Pokot boundary, following the fresh attacks between Turkana and Pokot pastoralists.
Tiaty MP Asman Kamama has warned that the wanton killings in the Suguta Belt region may get out of hand if the government fails to decimate the cattle rustling menace.
Kamama, who also chairs the National Assembly Security Committee, urged Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett to hire more Kenya Police Reservists to deal with the rising banditry cases.
Kamama noted that the Anti-stock Theft Unit was no longer effective in combating banditry attacks in the North Rift region.
“As we speak, in Silale ward, Tiaty, over 14 Pokots were killed by a suspected strong contingent of Turkana warriors who were properly armed,” Kamama said yesterday.
“The government must salvage the area from bandit attacks in the Suguta Belt. From the look of things, it is like a way of life. There has to be a martial plan to open up roads in the area required for the rapid deployment units, otherwise the region is no different from the Wild West,” said Kamama.
