Bandits rape woman, steal cattle in Laikipia

Bandits have for the third day running raided several villages in Ng'arua, Laikipia West.

They raped a 22-year old woman before stealing an unknown number of livestock on Wednesday night.

The victim’s father said a gang of eight men armed with AK-47 rifles raided his home in Mutitu village on Wednesday night and gang-raped his daughter as he watched before driving away with his cows and goats.

“It was around 2 am when we heard a loud bang at the door, I saw eight men, all armed with rifles. They ordered us to lie on the floor and raped my daughter in turns as my wife and I watched as they pointed guns at us,” he said.

He said they were assisted by neighbours to take their daughter to Kinamba Sub-County Hospital.

DAWN

He said they had to wait until dawn to take her to hospital as the bandits were still in the area terrorising residents.

“No one could get out of the house out of fear of being attacked,” said the father.

Area Chief John Wamai told the Nation that the heavily armed bandits rounded up livestock in the village.

“We didn’t sleep the whole night as the bandits were going from home to home rounding up livestock. They later disappeared into a valley in the neighbouring Laikipia Nature Conservancy after police officers and KPRs engaged them,” he said.

The incident happened barely a day after bandits disrupted a meeting in Rubere village in Laikipia West. They shot in the air, forcing residents to scamper for safety.

Police had indicated that they were pursuing the bandits hiding in a valley near the border.

The Mutitu chief said they suspect the bandits are hiding in the valley.

VALLEY

“They are hiding deep into the valley and police cannot pursue them as they might be ambushed,” he said.

Police had on Wednesday said they were hunting down the bandits believed to be behind a spate of renewed attacks in the area after they were reportedly spotted in a valley near the Baringo-Laikipia border.

Following the Wednesday night incident, residents blocked the Nyahururu-Ol Ng’arua road Thursday to protest against insecurity.

The protesters paralysed transport for the better part of the day.

They accused security agencies deployed in the area of doing little to deal with the bandits and illegal herders who have invaded private ranches and farms in the county.

“It is so unfortunate that we are attacked while a security operation by KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) is going on.

“The KDFs are only moving around with the state-of-the-art artillery and scary vehicles to scare and harass locals instead of dealing with the criminals.

'How come the bandits are freely moving in a valley in a conservancy where KDF have been camping,” said resident Martin Wanjohi.

KILL

Agnes Nyaguthii, another resident, said people had started fleeing their homes due to the renewed attacks.

Laikipia West MP Wachira Karani urged the government to deal with the bandits mercilessly.

“This has now become too much. We want the government to start treating these bandits like armed bank robbers or any other criminals who steal and kill, he said.

Meanwhile, Nyahururu OCPD Ezekiel Chepkwony said police were still pursuing the bandits.

“We have been pursuing them since yesterday (Wednesday) after they were spotted in a valley on the border of Laikipia and Baringo counties.

“We have increased security in the affected areas. We are also working closely with all security agencies in the two counties to have the bandits apprehended,” Mr Chepkwony told the Nation by phone.