Residents of Mandongoi in Ngomeni ward, Mwingi North constituency are spending nights in fear and hiding in the forest after armed camel herders invaded the area.
According to reports from one of the residents, on Sunday night there were numerous gunshots suspected to be from the camel herders. This comes after 42-year-old Mutie Mutua was stabbed on Saturday evening on his neck by the camel herders when he tried to chase the herd of camels from invading his farm.
Mutie was rushed for treatment at Ngomeni health center after sustaining injuries on the neck. However, according to the family members, things got out of hand and he was forced to be rushed to Mwingi Level 4 hospital for further treatment.
“He was seriously beaten because he also has minor injuries on his shoulder, the neck has been bleeding profusely and it’s like there was one of his veins that burst because he was screaming,” one of the family members told Mauvoo News.
Business was unusual in Mandongoi as the residents feared being attacked by the camel herders and on Monday according to Joel Maundu the headteacher of Mandongoi Primary School, there was a low turnout of the children who were coming to school.
“The situation is worrying in our village as of now, we are being forced to stay awake because of the frequent gunshots we are hearing at night. We thought that when it rains the camel herders will leave our land as they were instructed but now we are living in fear yet we are in our homeland. We call upon our local leaders to team up to come with a solution for once instead of waiting to come and give us empty promises when one of us is killed,” a resident who sought anonymity said.
Nicholas Mutua who is Kyuso sub-county police commander said that he will deploy police officers who will patrol the area and ensure that the culprits are arrested.
“According to the information we have, on Sunday morning at about 4 am, armed bandits broke into a house in Munyuuni hamlet and forced the residents to escape. We are investigating the incident to ascertain whether there is any relation to the stabbing that occurred on Saturday night,” the Police commander said.
Fights between camel herders from other counties who had been driven to Kitui by the protracted drought resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. Farmers and Kitui residents have accused the herders of ruining their farms and entering their land with their camels.
Last month, the senate security committee also visited the area and gave a raft of recommendations. Missed the story? check it out below;
