Bandits shot and wounded a man after ambushing a vehicle at Kampera village, Meru County at around 06:00 hrs yesterday.
Kimathi was shot at close range in the leg, reportedly after bandits forced the car to stop on a deserted roadway. Other occupants who were in the same vehicle escaped unhurt.
He was rushed to Isiolo hospital and where he was admitted. An eyewitness said that the bandits fired one bullet which passed his leg.
According to Kimathi’s mother, the occupants were attacked while on their way to check on a disputed piece of land.
“My husband fenced the disputed land before he died, and he left a report to the D.C. and P.C. When the bandits come across a piece of land that is fenced, they erect their own fence within it. When the attack took place, the bandits discovered that some people were constructing a house on the disputed land,” said Kimathi’s mother.
According to Agnes, she was awakened by the sound of heavy gunfire at 6:00 AM and mistook the Kenya Army for having arrived in the village.
“The names of the bandits are unknown but I recall their faces. When we arrived on the scene, Kimathi was in excruciating pain as a result of the gunshot wound. When the bandits returned to the scene, one of them told us that they had shot Kimathi and asked us to collect his body,” said Agnes.
Agnes said that he threatened to continue with the killings of the Meru people until they relocated elswhere.
“They were about to open fire on us when the police arrived, and they fled to the bushes. We were unsuccessful in our three-hour search for a car to transport Kimathi to the hospital. We boarded him on a motorcycle and took him to the Isiolo hospital, where he was admitted,” said Agnes.
Agnes said that a meeting on the disputed land was scheduled, but the alleged owner of Somali origin did not show up.
She said that they were later asked to provide a map of the disputed land to the DC.
“We are puzzled as to why Hon. Kabeabea has not responded, despite the fact that we elected him. The bandits were in the process of erecting a fence on the disputed land when the ambush attack occurred. We made a report to every government office and received no response. We notified the chief, and he has done nothing,” said Agnes.
According to Agnes, when they last met with government officials, they left without providing them with a solution.
She said later that night, their water supply system was disconnected.
“We reported the incident to the police, who promised to provide security. Later that night, unknown people threw stones at houses and broke doors. The police arrived and pursued the suspects, but none of them were apprehended,” said Agnes.
Agnes said that children do not attend school because the Borona and Turkana communities have threatened to launch attacks on them.
