10 people killed, 800 animals stolen in cattle raid in Samburu

A nurse at the Samburu County Referral Hospital attends one of the victims of an attack by cattle rustlers in Merti on March 22, 2017 that left 10 people dead and scores injured. PHOTO | GODFREY OUNDOH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Scores of other residents were left nursing serious gunshot injuries.
  • One of those injured in the cattle raid, an elderly man, has a bullet lodged in his chest.
  • Police have since launched an operation to recover the stolen animals.

Tension is high at Merti along the Samburu-Baringo border after 10 people were on Wednesday night killed in a cattle raid, in which more than 800 animals were also stolen.

Scores of other residents were left nursing serious gunshot injuries, according to relatives and police officers.

“The attack is believed to be a retaliatory attack and was executed by bandits from a neighbouring community,” said a police officer who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the police service.

However, County Police Commander Alfred Ageng’o declined to comment on the deaths when contacted by Nation.co.ke, only confirming that more than four people had been seriously injured in the attack.

“I cannot confirm those killed for now but more than four people were seriously injured and are recuperating at the Samburu County Referral Hospital,” said Mr Ageng’o.

BULLET IN CHEST

The Nation has also established that one of those injured in the cattle raid, an elderly man, has a bullet lodged in his chest.

Most of those injured were women and children.

The bandits are said to have executed simultaneous attacks before they fled with the hundreds of cattle.

Police have since launched an operation to recover the stolen animals.

So far 24 people have been killed in Samburu and Isiolo Counties in the last one week in conflicts linked to grazing land and cattle raids.

This latest incident comes hardly two days after 10 herders were killed in a pasture row between two pastoralist communities at Kom, Isiolo County.

According to the police, the more than 100 armed bandits arrived in motorbikes and attacked Samburu herders over grazing land in the area.

Bloody conflicts have erupted in Isiolo and Samburu counties following movement of herders from neighbouring counties.