On the afternoon of March 10, 2024, an unknown number of armed criminals suspected to be from the neighbouring community descended on Kapsebeiwo Village in Baringo North and made away with thousands of livestock.
At the time, Paul Chepkangor was herding his livestock a few kilometres from his house when the bandits struck.
During the raid, they surrounded a radius of more than three kilometres and made away with livestock from the neighbouring villages. Among animals driven away were his 50 goats, 40 sheep and 12 cows. He was rendered a pauper in a single raid.
The bandits were so many that I had to leave the livestock and flee to safety. My wife and the children had to lock themselves inside the house as attackers fired gunshots indiscriminately. They drove all my livestock as they advanced to other homestead and neighbouring villages. During the raid, thousands of animals were stolen including more than 100 of goats, sheep and cows, said Mr Chepkangor.
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He was hiding in a bush nearby where I was heading to. I just held onto a tree and he shot me on the knee before fleeing. I dragged myself to a neighbours house and locals came to my rescue. I was rushed to Marigat hospital and referred to Kabarnet hospital for specialised treatment where I was admitted for more than three weeks, she explained.
I am now a poor woman. I have nowhere to go and I am also nursing a gunshot injury. As we speak, my left leg is so swollen and cannot allow me to sit or stand for long. I am still having nightmares of the fateful day and I have resorted to saying that I will not go back to that village come what may. Let me just live in these makeshift tents no matter the challenges, said the elderly woman.
To worsen her situation, she was widowed two years ago after her husband was shot dead while heading to the nearby shopping centre to buy airtime.
Pastor Francis Changwony from Ngaratuko Village is also nursing gunshot wounds after he was shot in the left hand by bandits while rescuing his uncle on April 18, 2022 after being attacked by bandits who had made away with more than 54 cows in a raid.
The cleric was among 10 other men who had pursued the stolen livestock when the attackers shot at George Chebor and every one fled for safety.
Others fled but I remained behind with three other men to save my injured uncle. We waded through the thick bushes and I was shot on the shoulder with the bullet penetrating through my back. Those in my company responded and took me to the tarmac where I was taken to hospital, said Pastor Changwony of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG).
He was taken to Kabarnet hospital and later referred to MTRH where he was admitted for more than three weeks.
After the attack, my left hand became partially paralysed and I cannot hold anything with it. My 30 goats were also stolen in a raid and I am now displaced, living in Loboi, Baringo South, said the cleric.
Micah Kipsang, a police reservist from Loruk in Baringo North is also nursing a fresh gunshot wound after he was shot in an ambush at Lemuyek in Baringo North on February 11, 2024.
Micah was among security officers who had accompanied the county security team led by the county commissioner Stephen Kutwa, County Police Commander Julius Kiragu and Baringo North Sub-County Police Commander Fredrick Odinga for a routine patrol in the banditry prone area.
They were ambushed and Odingas car, which the NPR had boarded was sprayed by bullets- he sustained a gunshot injury after he was on his left leg.
I was admitted to the Baringo County Referral Hospital for a week and I am still nursing the wound. I am still using a walking stic, said Mr Kipsang.
Vincent Akeno from Ngaratuko village in Baringo North was also shot on December 3,2022 while pursuing more than 400 goats that had been stolen by raiders.
I was among some men that had pursued some stolen livestock after bandits struck our village. In the event, we were ambushed by the criminals and they shot me on the buttocks at close range. There were more than 50 criminals but luckily, police reservists came to my rescue and I was taken to the hospital, said Mr Akeno.
Akeno was admitted to the Baringo County Referral hospital for more than two months. He was assisted by local leaders and well-wishers who settled his medical bills.
The spate of attacks have sparked a mass exodus of people from affected villages to safer areas with learning most affected.
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