Two Turkana county employees escaped death by a whisker on Sunday after bandits ambushed a vehicle they were traveling in and sprayed it with bullets at the dreaded KWS-Kaakong’ stretch on the Kitale-Lodwar road.
It happened as residents and leaders in both Turkana and Baringo counties reported witnessing a military bombardment of areas believed to be the bandits hideouts.
Mr Peter Lochama and Ms Getrude Kosgei were heading to Lodwar town from Eldoret in a Turkana County Government vehicle when the armed bandits emerged from the thicket and fired at them.
Residents of both counties reported spotting two military combat choppers hovering over the hotspots on Friday and Saturday. The situation has caused tension in the areas.
“We ducked beneath the dashboard as I attempted to steer the vehicle. The vehicle veered off the road and we landed in the bush. I attempted to steer it further away from the bandits as they continued firing at us. Luckily none of us was hurt,” recalled Mr Locham, who was driving.
The vehicle caught stuck, forcing them to take get out and flee to safety.
“We headed back and found our way to the highway. The bandits had stopped firing at us. We stopped a PSV vehicle that was headed to the scene and we asked them to drive back to Kainuk, and they allowed us into the vehicle,” he narrated.
Following the incident, motorists and passengers on the Lodwar-Kitale road are now being escorted by Kenya Defence Forces soldiers and police officers.
