Boy, 12, shot by bandits in West Pokot

A 12-year-old boy is nursing serious injuries after he was shot by bandits in Chesogon at the West Pokot-Elgeyo Marakwet border on Sunday night.

According to eyewitnesses, the boy was herding his family’s cattle at the borders’ pastures when he was attacked by the bandits, who shot him twice before fleeing with the cattle.

According to the West Pokot Women Representative Regina Nyeris, the Chesegwen and Marakwet border had been rocked with conflicts but the reason for the conflicts have not been properly investigated.

“The boy was just a [Standard] four pupil and now he has been attacked. Investigations should be done to come up with a precise reason as to why the communities are attacking each other,” said Nyeris.

West Pokot County Governor Simon Kachapin has also called for investigationsinto the incident saying: “There is no way we can let our people suffer yet we have intelligence bodies. We should be able to trace and arrest the culprits who committed such a heinous crime.”

The boy was taken to the Cherengany Hospital where he is receiving treatment.

Elsewhere, two families are mourning the deaths of their children who allegedly drowned in streams close to their homesteads.

An 8-year-old girl is reported to have slipped and drowned in River Yala on Sunday evening in Bondo Sub- County while the girl reportedly slipped at the Siaya–Bondo Bridge while on her way to visit her aunt in a neighbouring village in Alego–Usonga Sub-County.

In yet another tragic incident, three siblings drowned in River Nzoia at Mufunje Village in Webuye West Constituency on Sunday night.

According to the children’s parents, the three, aged 12, 10 and 8, were on a swimming expedition when the unfortunate incident occurred.

The family has now appealed to the government to help retrieve the bodies of the three children.

Reported by James Matheri, George Amollo, written by Atieno Mboya