“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” John 15:18-20 NIV
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. ”
Article 1 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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Updated on: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Story by: Obadiah Ayoti and Husein Salesa
At least 32 people were yesterday morning killed and 12 others seriously injured when armed Pokot bandits raided the Pauline Range in Samburu District. Among those killed in the 5 am incident were eight children, three women and 11 suspected Pokot raiders.
The injured were admitted at Maralal District Hospital with serious gunshot wounds. Last evening, eight people who were in critical condition were airlifted to the Nairobi Hospital for specialised treatment. The bandits had earlier driven away over 3000 heads of cattle before the shooting ensued, leaving 31 people dead.
By last evening some of the bodies were still strewn all over the scene of the incident even after Internal Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode toured the area. Ojode landed in the area at 4pm accompanied by fellow assistant minister Simon Lesirma who comes from the area, Internal Security Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia, Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Okonya, Samburu East Raphael Letimalo and former Speaker of the National Assembly Francis ole Kaparo.
The killings in Mogurak come five days after Laisamis MP Joseph Lekuton raised a red flag over increased insecurity in Northern Kenya. Mr Letimalo, a Samburu, put the number of the dead herdsmen from his community at 24 but did not include the death from the Pokot side. The MP has previously accused the Government of selective disarmament saying, “It (disarmament) only targets the Samburu.”
He donated Sh100,000 to assist in the burial and ordered that the affected families be supplied with food and water. On his part, Lesirma attributed the violence to land ownership where the Pokots want to evict the Samburus from the Pauline Ranch. “This clash is about land ownership and not about pasture and water. The Pokots want to forcefully uproot Samburus from their land,” said the assistant minister. He asked the Government to beef up security in the area to protect lives and property.
Tension remained high in the area despite the fact that a contingent of regular and Administration Police officers were deployed to maintain law and order. Although police had launched investigations into the incident, no suspect had been arrested by last evening. Earlier, Samburu Central District Commissioner Tom Macharia said the incident was an isolated case of cattle rustling by armed bandits.
The killings come barely days after Laisamis MP Joseph Lekuton warned of impending attacks in pastoral regions as competition for water and pasture heighten due to prolonged drought. Last week, there was fighting between Borana and Samburu in Isiolo District in what was attributed to the competition for pasture and water.