According to Rift Valley regional coordinator Mohamed Maalim, Pokot herders were ambushed at Siromet pasture with suspected members of the Marakwet faction carrying off an unnumbered herd of cattle.

“The attack occurred at 3:00 p.m. after herders from the Pokot community, including miners, took their cattle to Siromet pasture in Kibaimwa, Marakwet East, when they were ambushed and attacked by armed criminals from the Marakwet community, who carried away an unknown number of cattle”, Maalim reported.

The exchange of gunfire left eight people dead and dozens injured, with panic now gripping the unstable area.

On February 18, Home Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the government would apply new force to the cattle rustlers in Pokot, who he said had gone beyond cattle rustling.

The SC said the government will categorize the Pokot warriors in the same group as the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC).

“I will seek permission from the National Security Council to declare the Pokot Movement and the Pokot Warriors an illegal organization and we will categorize them the same way we categorized the Momabasa Republican Council (MRC). We will apply a new level of force and fire to destroy this organization.” he stated.

Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (KUPPET) General Secretary Akello Misori said teachers located in unstable areas will not report to schools unless the situation is alleviated.

Misori insisted that even national exams will not force teachers to be in these insecure areas, noting that they are not against the government but that security is lacking.