Cattle rustlers ambush leaves 11 dead in Samburu village

The North Rift region has been enjoying relative calm in the past five months, but the killing of three people in Baringo County and another eight in Samburu County has threatened to derail the hard-won peace.

Tension remains high in Nabwel Nyang Village, Samburu North Sub-County, following the killing of the eight and the injury of seven more on Friday morning.

During the dawn attack, a woman, who was in a house in the village near Marti in Samburu North, was among those killed.

The villagers, who had recently migrated from Lokorkor Sub-Location in search of pasture, were ambushed by a group of about 300 bandits.

The bandits overpowered the villagers before driving away 300 cattle, nine camels and 10 donkeys.

Security personnel acted swiftly and recovered 220 cattle after the incident, according to Samburu North District Commissioner Henry Katana.

“The cattle were recovered after the attackers were overpowered by a joint team of police officers, who were called at 6am,” said Mr Katana.

Two children who were among the seven injured were flown to Nairobi for specialised treatment.

Samburu County Governor Moses Lenolkulal condemned the attacks, and called on the national government to take action against the attackers.

“It is unfortunate that such attacks are still taking place,” said Mr Lenolkulal.

This comes as tension builds up in Mbechot Village in Baringo South Sub-County after three people were killed by armed bandits.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday last week, took place when suspected Ilchamus bandits struck the village when some of the residents were having a meeting with Sub-County Commissioner Felix Kisalu.

The attack is believed to have been a retaliatory one, sparked  by the killing of an Ilchamus man in Olesampurmpur Village earlier.