A 17-hour gunfight involving cattle rustlers and herders in Suyan area, Samburu North has claimed the lives of 14 people.

The attack left several other injured while thousand herd of cattle were stolen. 

According to police reports, bandits engaged herders in the gunfight from the wee hours of Thursday morning, November 4.

Samburu County Commissioner Abdrisack Jaldesa confirmed the incident, stating that the administration had released a contingent of police officers to pursue the bandits and recover the stolen livestock.

He said, “A team has been sent out to mop out the remaining raiders who did that attack last night and trail animals that have not been traced.”

Uhuru challenged communities practicing FGM to discard the retrogressive cultural practice by finding alternative rites of passage.

“I know it is possible for our girls to go through alternative rites of passage without suffering,” he said.

The Head of State was speaking while on a one-day working tour in the county. 

He advised the Samburu community to give their boys and girls an equal opportunity to attend school, adding that educating girls has significant benefits. 

While unveiling various projects in the region, Uhuru thanked the county for passing the BBI Bill and urged residents to vote for the law reform process in the referendum.

Uhuru said, “We want to continue building our nation and we have come to an understanding that the only way to develop is to increase funding to the Counties. This will ensure that wananchi won’t have to wait for the national Government to approve the kind of projects they need.” 

He touched on insecurity in Samburu and neighboring Counties pointing out that uncooperative bandits and cattle rustlers in Baragoi and other hotspots who defy State agencies during a planned disarmament exercise will face the full force of the law.

The president, while addressing 500 students and staff of Kisima Girls Secondary, emphasized that girls need support from all Kenyans for them to access opportunities that will enable them to prosper.

He said, “We have come together with all these leaders to start a process that will ensure all girls in Kenya are able to have the same and equal opportunities as their male counterparts.” 

Uhuru added affirmed the government's commitment to ending FGM so as to enable Kenyan girls to lead meaningful lives.

“What we are starting today is a program that will empower young girls throughout the country to be able to live their lives to the fullest, to be able to have the opportunity of going to school, completing their education and preparing themselves for meaningful jobs,” he added. 

Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal, his Marsabit counterpart Mohamud Mohamed as well as Cabinet Secretaries Prof Margaret Kobia (Gender), Charles Keter (Energy) and Keriako Tobiko (Environment) accompanied the Head of State. 

The Head of Public Service Dr Joseph Kinyua, State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita and Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya among other senior Government officials were also present.