Two people have been killed in Maralal town in Samburu County as over 1,500 members of the Samburu community staged a peaceful demonstration over rising cases of insecurity.
The deceased include Laikipia University – Samburu Campus student leader and a fourteen year old boy who were killed as security officers engaged the demonstrators in running battles.
The student was shot by a stray bullet and died on the spot while the other boy was attacked and hacked to death by irate protestors for unknown reason.
Trouble started early today when over 500 morans from the Samburu community stormed Maralal police station in attempt to drive away 25 heads of cattle that were detained yesterday on allegations that they had been stolen from the neighbouring Malkis village.
According to Peter Lelepuk, police officers followed the lorry that was intercepted in Maralal Town transporting the alleged stolen cows from Suyan near Marti areas in Samburu North district.
He said a chain of insensible attacks and cattle raids in Samburu North despite heavy government armed forces presence forced the Police to detain the cows at the police the Station for further investigations.
The witness said it was then that a group of Samburu people from Maralal and university students from Laikipia’s Maralal Campus ran a peaceful protest as security officer made frantic efforts to repel them.
Police lodged tear gas canisters as the protestors turned wild and an exchange of fire ensued.
Mark Leleruk, Principal confirmed that the deceased identified as Thompson Lekishorimongi was student leader who was shot in the melee several meters from the police station and his body is still lying at the scene uncollected.
He said “the morans have can’t allow the officers to collect the body to the mortuary until those responsible are arrested and charged. It’s very unfortunate to us”.
“We therefore condemn in the strongest terms possible, the insensible act by both the Police and the protestors. Taking a life from the unresisting student, and we would like to know why he was the target and reasons,” the Principal told Capital News.
Samburu County Women Representative Maison Leshoomo condemned the incident saying It is really painful to loose lifes of people each day and especially of the magnitude like what happen today.
She called for all stakeholders to ensure that the struggle to seek the elusive peace must continue in order to bring harmony and encourage peaceful coexistence.
At the time of going to press, Interior and Coordination Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku, Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, a section of Samburu Leaders among them Maison Hon Leshoomo, M.Ps Alois Lentoimaga, Lati Lelelit, Raphael Letimalo and Nominated Senator Naisula Lesuuda are set to tour the area this afternoon.