Hundreds of Kenyans flocked to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) offices in Nakuru to witness the grilling of Turkana Governor Jeremiah Ekamais Lomorukai and a slew of other leaders.
The leaders including Turkana Senator James Lomenen were summoned by the DCI to record statements regarding ongoing conflicts in several counties among them Turkana and Baringo.
Other leaders who were summoned included Turkana South member of Parliament (MP) John Namoit, Kapenguria MP Samwel Mworoto, Kacheliba MP Titus Lote and Pokot South MP David Pkosing.
At the time of this writing, only Governor Lomorukai and Kacheliba MP Titus Lote had arrived at the office.
A crowd, on the other hand, had formed outside the DCI office anxious to hear what the leaders would tell the detectives over the escalating conflict.
Investigations into the conflict affecting six counties that form Kerio Valley have been ongoing for months now with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki promising action against the perpetrators.
The affected regions are Baringo, Samburu, West Pokot, and Isiolo among others.
On February 5, a group of armed bandits raided a village in Turkana County where they shot two people.
The gang raided the village in Kakong Sub-location of the Nakwarimor area where their motive was to steal livestock from several homes. The mission was botched.
Lives were taken during an exchange of fire between the gang and a security team that had responded to the attack.
The body of a rider was found near the scene of the shooting with a bullet wound on his head.
Earlier, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki confirmed that his Ministry had staged a fight against banditry which had become an organised crime enterprise.
“Its impacts are severe. It deprives pastoral communities of their economic mainstay and aggravates the conditions of poverty in the rangelands, fuelling communal grievances and revenge attacks,” the CS told the press.
"The criminals have taken advantage of rough terrain, poor infrastructure and social vulnerabilities to stage attacks against residents of some parts of Northern Rift Valley and Upper Eastern Regions, a culture that the Government is determined to suppress this year.”
He held a meeting with security leaders from Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru North, Baringo, Samburu and Turkana where the conflict is more prevalent.
