Bandits shoot dead girl, 14, in Baragoi as killings rise in Samburu

A 14-year-old girl was shot dead by a bandits at Bendera in Baragoi, Samburu North sub-county Sunday morning. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Samburu North sub-county police commander Tom Makori said the girl’s mother escaped unhurt during the incident.

  • Mr Makori said the killers were driving away stolen goats from the neighbouring village.

  • He said that following the incident, police officers were deployed to pursue the attackers.

A 14-year-old girl was shot dead by a bandits at Bendera in Baragoi, Samburu North sub-county Sunday morning.

The victim, a Class Eight pupil, was shot while fetching firewood with her mother and died on the spot at around 7am.

Samburu North sub-county police commander Tom Makori said the girl’s mother escaped unhurt during the incident.

Mr Makori said the killers were driving away stolen goats from the neighbouring village.

He said that following the incident, police officers were deployed to pursue the attackers.

The police boss urged locals not to retaliate and give security officers time to pursue and arrest the culprits.

"Police officers are on the ground to calm the situation. We are investigating the incident and attackers will be apprehended," he added.

The security team in collaboration with administration officers tracked the goats and found them in a bush on the route the killers escaped to.

“Some have been driven back and others are on the way. We will count them and hand them over to owners," Mr Makori.

In a different incident, a businessman and two other people escaped death when bandits attacked them at 6am.

According to Makori, the vehicle belonging to Richard Bironga was heading to Maralal town when they were attacked. He said that the three were robbed of all their money and phones.

He said Mr Bironga lost about Sh300,000 while another lost about Sh30,000.

"They were heading to Maralal town for their routine business activities and were attacked few kilometres away from Baragoi town. Nobody was hurt during the incident,"

Attempts by the police to arrest the suspects were unsuccessful but the police boss said a contingent of officers are tracking them to their escape route.

Cases involving attacks and killings of business persons in Samburu have been on the rise in a span of one month. About three prominent business persons have been murdered in cold blood in different incidents across the county.