Tension is high in Lomirok, Baragoi in Samburu North after a 20-year-old man was seriously injured in a failed cattle raid incident.
Lothur Ekitara was among a group of four herders who were grazing camels when they were ambushed by armed cattle rustlers on Saturday evening.
Speaking on his hospital bed, Lothur said they were about to take their camels home when they were attacked.
"We just heard gunshots, they were spraying bullets randomly," he said.
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Ekitale Joseph, an eyewitness, said the raiders escaped without stealing any of the camels after a fierce gunbattle.
“We fought with those people and overpowered them after some time, they ran away to
an unknown place,”
Ekitale
said.
The victim sustained a serious bullet wound at the pelvic girdle and is
admitted to Samburu
referral hospital in Maralal town.
Medical superintendent
at the hospital Dr Robert Nato confirmed that the hospital received the patient on Sunday morning with bullet injuries.
Locals are calling on the government to beef up
security in the region.
“I urge the government to look into the issue of insecurity and weed out criminals who have been terrorizing us, this is the second time we are being attacked,” said Ekitale.
However, Samburu north officer commanding police division Alphonse Munga said that he was not aware of the incident.
"I don't have such information and I cannot even investigate things I am not aware of," he said on phone.
The area residents called upon police officers based at Kambi Nyoka and Nachola GSU camp to intensify patrols along Baragoi Ngiro and Baragoi Marti roads.
"It is the role of the police to protect life and property, livestock is our main source of livelihood and it is unfortunate that our youth die looking after our only source of livelihood," one resident said.
