Heavily armed bandits suspected to be from Tiaty constituency on Thursday evening struck Embossos area in Arabal location of Marigat Sub County and made away with 28 cows after killing five people in the wee hours of the morning.
The cattle rustlers whose number has not been established are said to have attacked the area shortly after county and regional security teams had left Kapindasum villages where the criminals had earlier raided at around 2.30am and killed five people including three primary school boys before driving away 43 cows.
Confirming the evening attack, the County Police Commander (CPC), Robinson Ndiwa said nobody was injured during the incident which took the community that was still reeling in shock by surprise.
The CPC told KNA on telephone that a contingent of security officers comprising of GSU, Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), and anti-stock theft unit (ASTU) and the police were pursuing the heavily armed bandits who drove the animals towards Tiaty East Sub County.
However, the county police boss said, there is relative calm at Kapindasum area though people are still trying to come to terms with the loss of the school children mowed by the heartless bandits.
At around 2.30am on Thursday armed cattle rustlers staged a raid at a manyatta in Kapindasum in Marigat where they shot five people among them three school boys at close range while asleep killing them on the spot before taking away the animals.
The sixth person who was sleeping in the same makeshift tent with the deceased managed to escape the hail of bullets after he dived into the bushes and the shots ended up killing two cows in the process.
The slain boys, learners at Sokotei primary school, had gone to help their parents herd their livestock in the area during the half term break before resuming classes next week.
The livestock owners had moved their cows to Kapindasum area because of pasture and water from Lokumkum, Kiserian and Nosukro following current dry spell.
By Joshua Kibet
