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Two more Serut relatives shot
dead
Story by BARNARD KWALIA
Publication Date: 11/14/2007
Outgoing Mt Elgon MP John Serut has lost two relatives in the
unrelenting clan flare-ups in the district.
Five people, including Mr Serut’s brother and niece, were killed
in the area on Monday night by people said to have been trailing
them all day.
The attack comes after the killing of the father of controversial
local politician Fred Kapondi on Saturday.
Mr Kapondi, who is being held at the Bungoma GK prison for
allegedly promoting warlike activities in the area, has expressed
interest in the Mt Elgon parliamentary seat.
Mr Jeremiah Serut, 70, is the second Serut brother killed in the
clashes between the Soy and Ndorobo over land allocation at
Chebyuk settlement scheme. Another, Mr Edward Owino, was killed
about three months ago.
His niece was identified by police as Milcah Serut, 27.
Others killed in the dawn attack included Protus Cheroben Chesebe,
45, and his wife Beatrice Bwiba, 42.
They were all gunned down at Laini Moja and Kibuk Village of
Kapsokwony Division.
The fifth victim, Mr John Omar, 34, was shot dead at Cheptais
Village in the settlement scheme. Police said the outgoing MP’s
brother was killed by people armed with AK-47 rifles and pangas,
who invaded Laini Moja area at 10pm on Monday.
They attacked the Planning assistant minister’s elder brother and
his niece, killing them together with neighbours.
The killer gang, suspected to be members of the Sabaot Land
Defence Force, was dressed in police uniform.
Posing as police officers on patrol, they asked the victims to
come out of their houses and shot them dead.
The attackers were said to have been looking for Mr Serut’s
younger brother, a teacher at Kaberwa primary school.
Fagia Force
Instead, they killed his daughter, Milcah. The teacher was away
during the attack.
Each of the four victims were shot with a single bullet.
Another group believed to belong to a new killer gang known as
Fagia Force, confronted Mr Omar when he was harvesting onions at
his Cheptoror home and shot him dead.
Local district commissioner Mohammed Biriki blamed residents, whom
he accused of harbouring criminals and failing to volunteer
information to police.
Mr Serut demanded the removal of Mr Biriki from the area, together
with his security team.
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