Form Two student killed as renewed clashes escalate in Narok

A Form Two student was killed on Sunday as renewed clashes between the Kipsigis and Maasai communities escalated at Pimbinyiet on the Trans Mara West-Trans Mara East border in Narok County.

This was the second death in a week, after a man was killed last Wednesday.

This comes as most schools remain closed in Esoit and Pimbinyiet, the two areas hit hard by the fighting.

Benson Taya Rongo, who was a student at Ngariet Boys Secondary School in Sotik, Bomet County, was shot in the head and died instantly. He was looking after his father’s cattle near the Pimbinyiet Police Post.

The 24-year-old was set to go back to the boarding school on Monday.

Chief Leboi ole Munke said the attackers stalked the young man on Sunday evening and shot him at close range.

“It is sad that this happened as we were preparing to bury another victim, who was killed last week. We have lost another resident, just a day before the planned burial,” said the chief.

SITUATION GETTING WORSE

Rongo’s body was taken to the St Joseph Mission Hospital mortuary.

Residents have called on the government to increase the number of police officers at the Pimbinyiet patrol base.

“We cannot continue to have only three police officers based here. Initially, they were eight, and they helped a lot. We want to know why the number was reduced yet the situation keeps getting worse,” said Mr Emmanuel Mukasa, a local resident.

He said only two officers went on patrols while one was left to man the base.

Mr Mukasa said General Service Unit (GSU) officers should also be deployed to the area until calm is restored.

“The GSU camp is not very far from here, but it becomes very hard for the officers to quickly respond to emergencies because it takes them long to manoeuvre their way through as the roads are in a poor state,” he said.

STOP FURTHER CLASHES

Residents want the boundary between Njipship and Shartuka determined, saying this will stop further clashes.

At the same time, some schools in areas hit by the clashes have remained closed, with a low number of learners having reported to others that reopened for the first term last week.

Head teachers who spoke to the Nation said the first term had started at a slow pace in the wake of the deadly fighting between the two communities.

Kimintet Primary School was closed the whole of last week, as the pupils stayed away for fear of being attacked by some of the armed raiders.

The principal, Mr Patrick Tawish, said the parents felt it was not safe yet to allow their children to report to school.

“We have called the parents and issued notices that the school will reopen on Wednesday,” he said.

At Esoit Naibor Primary School, only a handful of pupils had reported for classes by Monday.

“Just 10 pupils have reported since last week. The turnout is understandably low as memories of the bloody killings are still fresh in the minds of most parents,” said Mr Evans Tureti, the head teacher.