A 23-year-old student at Friends School Kamusinga was shot dead during an ambush by heavily armed bandits near Kakong trading centre along the Lodwar- Kitale highway.
The deceased was one of the 14 passengers aboard a Turkrift Shuttle Reg. no KDD 214M that was heading to Lodwar from Kitale when an unknown number of armed gunmen waylaid and opened fire on the vehicle.
According to the driver Ismael Wafula, the heavily armed bandits lay an ambush on the vehicle at about 12:15pm. some 5 km to Kakong trading center before spraying the passengers with bullets killing one on the spot.
According to Turkana South Sub County Police Commander William Adenyo, the deceased one, John Peter Emmanuel, who was a South Sudanese National at the school, succumbed to injuries inflicted by the bullet wound.
He however said the condition of another South Sudanese national Nyachan Ruach who was also hit during the incident had stabilized after the fatal bullet that went through the ribs of the deceased who was seated next to him exited and pierced into her right armpit.
“The condition of Ruach was stabilized at Kakong dispensary but she is awaiting transfer to Lodwar County referral hospital because the fatal bullet is still logged in her armpit area,” said Adenyo.
He added that a multi-agency team of Kainuk police officers, Katilu police officers, ASTU Kainuk and RDU Nariamao and GSU Lorogon were combing through the area to flush out the gunmen.
In another incident, two armed bandits ordered a Kenya Red Cross society driver to stop and robbed him and his two passengers of their valuables at gunpoint. The mid-day incident occurred a few kilometres from KWS camp.
Preliminary reports indicated that gunmen ordered the driver Mr. Saningo Orumoi, who works with Kenya Red Cross society to stop the vehicle registration number KCK 927L, a Toyota Land cruiser, at around 12.17hrs.
He said in his report that two gunmen threatened to shoot him along with his two passengers who were travelling from Kitale to Lodwar town before they were robbed at gunpoint.
The bandits, who were heard canvassing in Pokot language, threatened to shoot them prompting them to stop, then demanded money and mobile phones.
One Simon Chegem who had Sh2,150 handed it over to them, they then demanded for water and were given. They returned the mobile phones and escaped into a nearby thicket. No injury was reported.
A multi-agency team of officers from RDU, ASTU and others from Lokichar and Katilu police station are on the ground pursuing the perpetrators.
By Peter Gitonga
