Baringo County Commissioner (CC) Stephen Kutwa has assured residents that security agencies are zeroing in on perpetrators of recent banditry attacks in the area which resulted in the death of six people.
Kutwa who condemned the killings executed in three separate attacks within Baringo North constituency that saw several others sustaining serious gunshot wounds, said they have identified some suspects and within a few days they will be arrested to face the law.
He pointed out that the unfortunate incidences which occurred after a long calm period was as a result of retaliatory attacks between two warring Tugen and Pokot communities living in the county.
The county commissioner who spoke exclusively to KNA at his office in Kabarnet town on Friday said that it is high time such criminals are identified by members of the community so as to deter incidences of victimization of an entire community.
Kutwa was reacting to incidences where tension was building up in major towns in the county including in Marigat, Kabarnet and Chemolingot which he said took their intervention to calm the situation before spiraling into deadly clashes.
“We are urging the two warring communities of Tugen and Pokot to live harmoniously even as we continue to investigate the matter,” said Kutwa.
He urged local leaders to play a leading role in unifying their respective community members and support security agencies in the peace making process.
At the same time, the county commissioner gave an assurance that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure that all school children across the affected areas continue with their learning uninterrupted.
“All our schools have resumed and learning is taking place in all the primary and secondary. I am urging all the parents and teachers not to worry since the situation has been contained,” he said.
County police commander Julius Kiragu who called on all stakeholders to embrace peaceful coexistence in order for the region to witness lasting peace termed the attack as an isolated incident.
Kiragu noted that the attack which did not involve any stealing of livestock, is believed to have been triggered by an earlier incident where a young armed herder was shot dead by National Police Reservists after intruding his neighbour’s grazing field thus escalating into community witch hunt.
The county police boss encouraged members of the community to continue forwarding them the names of a few criminal elements who want to cause instability in areas prone to insecurity in Baringo that have enjoyed relative calm for the better part of last year including the just concluded festive season.
However, Kiragu reiterated that normalcy is gradually returning in the affected areas but more efforts ought to be done to weed out a few criminals whom they have gotten their leads and the long arm of the law will soon catch them.
By Benson Kelio
