Residents of Kinyach Sub-location, Baringo North Sub-county have been urged to maintain peace as local leaders implore government to deploy the National Police Reservist (NPR) to maintain calm, after one person was gunned down by bandits, Sunday.
Baringo County Commissioner, Abdirisak Jaldesa, was speaking during a public Baraza held at Kinyach Sub- location, Bartabwa Ward, Monday, where he urged local residents to maintain peace after one middle aged man, Tony Bargutwo, was gunned down and over 50 goats and sheep stolen, Sunday February 5, as he was herding them at the Marakwet East border.
“We have experienced peace since last year when a similar incident took place in May 2022, where a teacher lost his life in this same area and we are shocked about the recent occurrence, but we promise to restore peace immediately since we have already submitted a list of youth, to be deployed as NPR officers,” Jaldesa said.
Area Member of Parliament (MP), Joseph Makilap, condemned those responsible for the killings and gave an ultimatum to the Internal Security Cabinet Secretary (CS), Kithure Kindiki, to arm the NPR officers, to protect the area and the bandits to return the stolen animals.
“People in my area love peace and we want to urge residents of Marakwet and Aror to stop the banditry menace immediately and maintain peaceful co-existence or else we will take necessary action,” Makilap lamented.
Maureen Tonny, the widow of the deceased who has left behind five children, has asked the government to assist her pay school fees since they are still very young and has lost their source of livelihood.
Ezekiel Chepketei, the father of the deceased, expressed grief after losing his son who was the sole breadwinner with a young family, and urged the government to protect its citizens as they were living in fear, but vowed not to leave their ancestral land.
“My son had bullet wounds on his leg and head and we know the aim of the bandits is to scare us away, so that they can take over our grazing lands, but we will not leave no matter what,” he added.
Targo Kiptiony, a grandmother and resident of the area who sobbed uncontrollably, said the future generations were at risk, as men who were yet to marry and sire children, were being killed and young widows left without husband’s to protect homes and fend for their families.
According to residents the deceased was an IT graduate and a World Vision employee, who had a bright future, but cut short by the cruel hand of death through bandits.
The body was transferred to the Baringo County Referral Hospital, awaiting burial later this week.
By Caroline Cherono
