Two Turkana County government officials have been shot dead by suspected bandits from West Pokot as deadly fights recur on the Turkana-West Pokot border.
The suspected retaliatory attack came hours after a seven-year-old boy was shot and killed at Takaywa by rustlers who stole an unknown number of cattle on Wednesday morning.
Bandits are said to have ambushed and killed Turkana South Constituency Development Manager Mark Erukudi and environment officer Maxwell Lokol.
“In a retaliatory attack, armed raiders … in the afternoon ambushed the two officers while on a motorbike heading to Nakwamoru from Kapelbok shooting them dead,” said Turkana County Commissioner Seif Matata.
Turkana South MP James Lomenen condemned the renewed banditry attacks and called for political goodwill from both Turkana and West Pokot County governments to end the deadly cross-border conflicts over cattle, land and water.
Mr Lomenen claimed tensions started to build up last week when raiders from Masol village in West Pokot raided Kaakong village in his constituency, killing a herdsboy and driving away 150 goats.
“We have planned for cease fire meetings on Friday at specific villages along River Turkwel where leaders from Pokot and Turkana Counties will first meet to unravel the root cause of the renewed attacks along the border. We will on Saturday hold several peace-building barazas that will be attended by border villagers from the two communities,” said Mr Lomenen.
Mr Matata assured border residents that they have deployed adequate security comprising officers from the Administration Police, Anti Stock Theft Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit and General Service Unit to stop further retaliatory attacks.