Two people were shot dead and two others were injured after bandits disrupted business along the Marigat-Loruk road in Baringo County and attacked traders on Monday, April 21.
The victims, who were on their way to Nginyang market, were attacked as they travelled under police escort, with two lorries targeted in the assault.
The lorries were on their way to deliver cattle to the market for market day, as is the norm every Monday.
''It is a very sad day for us. Every Monday, we go to Nginyang market for trading, but today, we got calls that those who had gone there were attacked and killed. It is very sad," Agnes Chepkeny, Mariget Market chair lady, painfully narrated.
According to one of the drivers of the lorry, the raid happened at around 8am when they noticed the bandits lined up on a slope along the road. The driver escaped unharmed, but his co-driver was shot and killed on the spot.
''The only reason I survived is that after the first gunshot, I did not stop; I was at high speed, and they shot my lorry severely and killed my co-driver. The driver of the other lorry was also shot dead because after seeing us being attacked, he stopped and tried escaping on foot," the driver narrated.
Tension has been high in the area, with the attacks increasing in intensity in the last two months.
Despite being escorted by heavy police, the bandits went ahead and attacked the traders in what the residents have described as a change of strategy, from cattle rustling to attacking traders.
''The banditry has changed from cattle rustling to highway robbery and highway hijacking,'' the area OCPD said.
This is the second time the traders have been attacked and killed in under a month. While the government is providing security and officers to man residents and traders, they have decried that it is not enough and more needs to be done.
The attack comes at a time when the Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen vowed to eradicate banditry, which has been rampant in the North Eastern counties.
The CS reaffirmed his commitment to tackling banditry, prioritising police welfare and intelligence-driven operations.
The bodies of the two victims were taken to Baringo County Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations.
