• Residents say the bandits have staged a series of cross-border attacks to divert attention.
• The bandits raided and stole over 100 head of cattle in Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet on Thursday.
The government has been urged to intensify border patrols after suspected armed bandits extended Kapedo attacks to villages in Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties.
On Thursday night, the daring bandits raided Kesumet village in Bartabwa ward, Baringo North, and made away with 34 head of cattle.
“After a hard pursuit, we managed to recover some animals, while the bandits drove the rest towards Kositei in Tiaty subcounty,” Chemoe resident Richard Chepchomei said on Friday.
The residents, only armed with arrows and bows, have called upon the government to extend the ongoing security operation in Kapedo to the entire volatile borders of Tiaty and Baringo North.
Samuel Kiplagat from Bartabwa said the heavily armed bandits believed to be from the neighbouring Tiaty stormed Kesumet village in Bartabwa and raided three families at midnight.
Bartabwa MCA Reuben Chepsongol lauded the government efforts to carry out a massive operation in Kapedo, appealing that the same should be extended to parts of Baringo North to flush out the criminals who are terrorising locals.
Tension is high in the area and the frequent banditry attacks have caused the closure of Chepkesin Primary School in Bartabwa.
The bandits have also crossed over to parts of neighbouring Elgeyo-Marakwet county on Thursday night when they raided Kapen location, Endo ward, and drove away some 90 head of cattle.
Residents, however, managed to repulse the heavily armed bandits and recovered 51 cows, 39 are still missing. Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor Wisely Rotich attributed the resurgence to the ongoing Kapedo attacks.
“The bandits seem to be trying to divert attention by planning a series of attacks across the neighbouring counties,” Rotich said.
He, therefore, urged the security agencies in the North Rift region to intensify border patrols along the borders of the three counties—Baringo, Turkana and Elgeyo-Marakwet—to beef up security.