This archive report was first published on 11 July 2021.
Retaliatory attacks between two pastoral communities in Kerio Valley have left a trail of death and destruction, with five people killed and one seriously injured.
The attacks, which have claimed the lives of 12 people in the last two weeks, are a grim reminder of the ongoing conflict between the communities.
On Saturday, suspected bandits from Tiaty in Baringo County crossed the Kerio River and launched a retaliatory attack on herders, killing a 22-year-old Laikipia University student and injuring another person.
According to Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner Ahmed Omar, the bandits were on a revenge mission after people from Elgeyo Marakwet raided Kolowa in Baringo and killed two people from Pokot and one from the Marakwet side.
"We are having a report of more than 100 raiders from Pokot who killed two people and took an unspecified number of livestock," Dr. Omar said. "The family says they are more than 200 but sometimes they exaggerate the figures. This is a revenge to what happened on Friday where our Marakwet youths crossed over and killed two people in Kolowa and one of them (youths) also died there,"
The stolen livestock were driven to Cheptulel in Pokot Central, West Pokot and Ng'oron in Tiaty, Baringo County.
Spiritual leaders from the warring pastoral communities have been blamed for fueling the attacks by offering blessings to the bandits before they stage the raids.
"The spiritual leaders administer oaths and offer blessings to the bandits who participate in the attacks," said Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natemblya during a security meeting in Tot last Wednesday.
He asked spiritual leaders, popularly referred to as Laibon, to surrender or risk arrest over the fresh attacks.
"The law will act tough against individuals who fuel the armed conflicts irrespective of their position in the society," warned Mr. Natembeya.
