Another raid, another massacre
On Monday, September 14th, when I awoke from exhaustion after a day spent telling the Cambridge, Massachusetts community and visitors at its Carnival about the fears, hungers but also hopes of the Samburu community, another massacre took place. Pokot tribesmen this time, so the press is saying, attacked sleeping women and children and animals at Naibol, near Lerata. Over 30 people were killed (Samburu and Pokot when the Samburu fought back) — may I remind you, human beings all.
It has gotten Kenyan and I believe international (BBC) press coverage, although the Kenyan press persists in depicting the incident as a typical, tribal struggle between raiding pastoralists struggling over grazing rights and water in this drought and refuses to address the larger, coordinated nature of these attacks.
But, from comments made, I believe this is but one attack that took place on Monday. It is hard for me to sort out the names and places. Samburu people, please comment here and tell me what happened.
Ricky L., who has posted in this blog, has also been to the hospital mortuary in Isiolo, trying bear witness and take pictures of 3 Samburu who died in the Kipsing area. He was refused admittance. He ended the e-mail saying that he can hear gunshots in the Isiolo night and that he has to go to sleep now.
Meanwhile, I am tired too. No, I think that I am sunk in spirit right now. My spirits will rise again, but at the moment I have to show you some of the people who survived the Naibor attack, barely. I have had the pictures since yesterday, Tuesday, but recoiled from looking at them and seeing the reality. The first is a young boy, shot in the jaw. His picture was attached twice and so I downloaded it twice, watching it spring up on my computer screen unbidden. The question asked today: does anyone know how he can get some medical help?
I don’t know anything more about these people except their humanity
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I’m sorry, this was a hard blog to write.
Roxanne this is wonderful work you are doing. It very sad to see all this. The place you have asked called kipsing is not near Naibor but just some 62KM west of Isiolo Town (Isiolo district), habited principally by Samburu people. However it has also been another flush point for conlicts for a long time.
Roxannne first thanks for your concern to highlight the massacre. The Massacre actually happened in Kanampiu village in Naibor in Laikipia North District. I got a phone call at 8AM in the morning informing of the incident. I immediately mobilsed media people and left for the scene from Nanyuki. When I arrived at the scene I was greeted by sadness and mourning. The entire manyatta was strewn with bodies of children, women and old men. It was at 500hours on Monday 15th September 2009 that the dreadly inhuman pokot raiders attacked the village and unleash horror and massacre amongst innocent sleeping residents of Kanampiu. After two hours of heavy fighting the samburu police reservists managed to repel the raiders and overpowered them. 18 people died on the sport while three people died on their way to Maralal Hospital. 15 people sustain serious bullet wounds and were treated in Maralal Hospital while others where airlifted to Nairobi Hospital. Ironically more than 300 police were camping in the manyatta instead of pursuing the raiders. The pokot – samburu conflicts should not be just regarded as mere community conflicts but it has lots of political influence. It is believed that a chief is behind planning for the raids and we have got information that he got arrested but we are not certain whether his MP Asman Kamama who has been breeding terror for the samburus will not interfere to release him. Such orchestrated and planned raids indicate that there is a plan to force the samburus from their legitimate land for which they have title deeds. GOD HELP OUR PEOPLE WE UNDER SIEGE
Am touched by all the stories about the samburu massacre and another one just happend