West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo's convoy attacked at Lami Nyeusi

Heavy exchange of fire after Governor’s convoy was sprayed with bullets

Mark Mwithaga

February 13, 2019 3:24 PM

Governor experiences horrific encounter

File image of West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo.

West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo convoy was on Tuesday attacked at Lami Nyeusi area while heading for a peace meeting.

Reports claimed that the convoy which was ferrying the governor, three MPs and the regions security team, was ambushed by police officers attached to the Kainuk Administration Police station in Turkana County.

A police officer checking on the condition of the vehicle after the attack (Standard) Pulse Live Kenya

A heavy exchange of fire broke out between Lonyangapou's security team and the officers, who were stated to have been carrying a patient to hospital.

Vehicles in the motorcade that carried the West Pokot County boss and the County commander of police Matthew Kuto, were sprayed with bullets as they passed through the area while the rest of the other cars which were transporting West Pokot County commissioner Apollo Okello, journalists and County Executive Members (CECs) were forced to turn back.

Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto, Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong and Kacheliba MP Mark Lomunokol, had accompanied Lonyangapou to Takaywa Village to ease the tension where one person had been killed, and more than 500 heads of cattle stolen by cattle rustlers on Sunday.

The governor had criticized the incident and called for the national government to intervene.

“The raid was stage managed.

“We need the government to beef up security in all hot spots and disarm all those with illegal firearms,” remarked Lonyangapou.

Retaliation attacks

In December 2018, suspected bandits from Pokot were alleged to have retaliated over the killing of a seven-year-old boy by murdering two Turkana county officials.

Offices of Turkana County Governor Pulse Live Kenya

Seif Matata who is the Turkana county commissioner, confirmed that the Turkana South Constituency Development manager Mark Erukudi and environment officer Maxwell Lokol were shot dead while on a motorbike as they were heading to Nakwamoru from Kapelibok.

Matata stated that the young boy was shot dead at Takaywa by armed cattle rustlers during a raid on the village.

Mark Mwithaga