Heavily armed bandits raided a homestead at a village in Laikipia North Sub County and stole 83 heads of cattle on Sunday evening.
The raiders numbering about 40 and wielding assault rifles, struck at the homestead of Lobara ole Mosieny in Tiamamut village at around 6pm and drove his entire cattle herd and five donkeys towards Isiolo County as the area lies along the border of Laikipia and Isiolo.
Speaking to reporters at his homestead, Ole Mosieny, 84 said that the bandits, believed to hail from a neighbouring county started firing indiscriminately when they reached the homestead sending everyone scampering for safety before they proceeded to the cow shed and drove away the animals.
“They came and started firing at our houses. I shouted to my children to hide since I knew we were under attack from cattle rustlers. Luckily no one was injured. They stole all my animals,” a distraught Ole Mosieny said.
The old man is now pleading to security personnel to help in tracking the stolen animals, saying that the livestock was all the livelihood he depended on.
The Laikipia North MP, Sarah Lekorere who visited the homestead on Monday called on security personnel in the area to hasten tracking down the stolen animals and also restore peace in the volatile region.
“Our people are living in fear of constant attacks by cattle rustlers who have so far killed 12 people in Laikipia North since February this year and stolen hundreds of livestock. This menace has to be brought to an end,” Lekorere said.
She added that a multi-agency squad of security personnel had been dispatched to help in tracking down the animals into neighbouring Isiolo County and hoped that they would be recovered and the culprits brought to book.
“Residents of Laikipia North are always vulnerable to bandit attacks from armed attackers from neigbouring counties and are not able to repulse them since the government disarmed the National Police Reservists (NPR) who would assist in case of an attack,” the MP said.
She regretted that insecurity was creeping back in the region and called on security personnel to investigate those behind cattle rustling in Laikipia, Isiolo and Samburu counties.
“We want to see action from the police. Let them un earth this banditry menace and arrest anyone found to be behind it even if it’s elected leaders who might be fanning it,” Lekorere said.
By Martin Munyi
