Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

A sombre mood engulfed two villages in the North Rift during the burial of seven people shot dead by armed bandits last week with local leaders and residents decrying rampant cases of insecurity in the region.

In Endo area of Marakwet East constituency in Elgeyo Marakwet County, tears flowed freely as three peace ambassadors were laid to rest in an emotional sendoff.

The three were on a goat recovery mission, led by a team of peace ambassadors from Marakwet East and Tiaty which was scheduled on the banks of River Kerio at the border of the two sub-counties before they met their deaths.

The three, Joseph Kipkeu Suter famously referred to as Kinyozi, Eliud Kipkeu Chelimo and Patrick Kipkeu Komen were ambushed by armed bandits near Kerio River where they were shot dead.
The bandits are said to have struck a kilometre to the venue.

Local leaders led by Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich termed the killing of the three a big blow to peace efforts which were beginning to bear fruit in the region.

“May their killers have no peace. It is painful to lose the lives of three breadwinners from one village through such a barbaric act. It is unfortunate that this comes at a time the region had registered relative peace,” said Rotich.

Woman Representative Caroline Ng’elechei faulted security personnel in the region for failing to tame runway banditry, which has resulted to hundreds of deaths over the years.

“Almost every day we bury a soul because of bandits, we do not know how powerful these people are,” said Ngelechei.

Others who attended the burial included Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen and deputy Governor Grace Cheserek among others.

The same mood was witnessed in the neighbouring Baringo county during the burial of four family members who were also shot dead by armed bandits last week.

The four a father, wife, their son and a nephew were on a boda boda and were headed for a family meeting when they were ambushed by armed bandits at Chemoe area in Baringo North constituency and shot dead.

They died on the spot and the gunmen escaped the scene.

The gang seemed to have been on a revenge mission as they shot and injured scores of other people as they fled the area towards a neighbouring constituency.

A contingent of multi-agency security ream was deployed to the area o pursue the gang in vain.

Local leaders who attended the burial on Saturday pointed an accusing finger on security personnel for sleeping in the job.

“Iko shida kwenu. Ether hamtaki kufanya kazi ama mmekataa kabisa kufanya kazi. (You have a problem. Either you don’t want to work or you have completely refused to discharge your duties),” said former Bartabwa Member of the County Assembly (MCA) Reuben Chepsongol.

During the chilling attack, a four-year-old girl survived the attack and was found unarmed soaked in blood cuddled in her mother’s lifeless body.

Baringo South MP Charles Kamuren and its Baringo North counterpart William Cheptumo called on the government not to relent on its fight against bandits wreaking havoc in the region.

“All those condoning banditry should be dealt with once and for all. The only wat to deal with is taking them to heaven. Maliza kazi zote (finish the whole job),” said Kamuren.

Cheptumo said that the bandits responsible for the heinous act should be brought to book and killed for just to be served to the bereaved family.

During his just concluded tour of his North Rift backyard, President William Ruto declared war on bandits wreaking havoc in the region.

According to the President, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers who are currently stationed in Kerio Valley will permanently be stationed in the area

“Those other issues you are hearing are the last kicks of a dying horse. I made a commitment that the people of Kerio Valley will have peace. I will make sure I discharge that commitment. The end to banditry is in sight,” President Ruto said in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet county.

According to Dr Ruto, the government has already procured modern equipment for security agencies which he said will soon be in the country.

He announced that a sub-county will be set up in the banditry prone Kerio Valley and Kollowa in the next 90 days to help in coordinating security matters in the region.