Police reservists among five killed in Turkana clashes

A boy herds their livestock in Turkana County, January 31, 2014. Five people including two police reservists were killed at Kaptiri village in Turkana South Friday after a raid by suspected bandits from a rival community. JARED NYATAYA 

By Nation Correspondent
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Five people including two police reservists were killed in Turkana South subcounty Friday after a raid by suspected bandits from a rival community.

According to a police reservist who participated in a three hour fire exchange at a grazing field between Kaptir and Kapelbok villages, the bandits were about 200.

"We were notified by Kapelbok Primary School pupils at 3pm who were on their way home in Lomopus village that a group of armed attackers were coming to raid," said the reservist.

Four others were injured and taken to Kaptir dispensary before transferred to Lodwar District Hospital for further treatment minutes after the bandits overpowered the herders and reservists.

Speaking at the Kaptir village where digging of graves had commenced, Katilu Member of County Assembly James Abei said that he had ordered four coffins.

"The fifth body is still at the battle field and arrangements were in place to transport it to the village." said Mr Abei.

He said that Turkana South is porous after police reservists were disarmed during Inspector General David Kimayio's visit after an Administration Police at Nakwamoru was killed by an unknown assailant.

Sorrow engulfed both villages as women and elders sat in groups consoling each other with animals still in their sheds.

LOST HER FAMILY

Losinyon Ekidor, has now lost all her family members to banditry attacks.

"I lost my husband and a son last year to bandits. I buried them and now on Friday I lost the only son Paulo Ekidor alongside our livestock," Ms Ekidor said in an interview between her husband's grave and a new one that was being dug for his son.

Katilu Ward Administrator Simon Koloi named the other four killed as Samwel Lotibok Longori, Damian Kalemunyang Ewoi, Akoel Edung and Lonyuduk Erionga.

Mr Koloi confirmed that three firearms were taken by the bandits, two belonging to the police reservists.

At a baraza meeting attended by Turkana South OCPD Mr Kipsang Changach, five pupils at Kapelbok primary sent a message to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Kimayio through a Kiswahili poem that guns are killing residents and they wish to leave the area if no action is taken.

Traumatised village women led by Teresa Emuria also told the Government that the only thing remaining is to first bury the dead and migrate to other areas.

At the baraza, residents pleaded with the government to recruit more police reservists and issue them with guns.

The government had deployed GSU officers to patrol the border