Witnesses of ‘KDF Shooting’ That Left 2 Dead in Eldoret Being Intimidated – Uasin Gishu Leaders

A section of political leaders in Uasin Gishu County has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and help call to order the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) soldiers.

This follows a recent incident in which two people were shot dead and several others injured when the KDF officers allegedly opened fire at unarmed locals at Chebarus area, in Turbo Sub County.

In a media briefing at the Uasin Gishu County headquarters, the leaders asked the President who is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces to order KDF to stop what they termed were illegal intimidations, arrests, and detention of civilians that neighbor the soldiers in the county.

They also asked the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to put witnesses of the shooting incident on the witness protection program.

“We ask IPOA to put witnesses who are already being intimidated on witness protection and safeguard their safety,” said the leaders in a statement read by Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago.

“Residents ready to provide materials, witnesses that would help investigate the Christmas day incident subject to security of witnesses,” Mandago added in the statement.

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The Uasin Gishu leaders further insisted that the over 1,000 households occupying the over 4,000-acre piece of land at the Kiplombe 9 Farms legally acquired it and that they have been staying there for over 50 years.

They also accused KDF officers and the Kenya Ordinance Factory (KOF) of disregarding a court order that had directed the status quo to be maintained until hearing and determination of a case filed before the Eldoret Land Court in 2019.

The leaders also want the government to compensate families of those killed and injured in the incident.

They also called on the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to order investigations into the incident and all those found culpable to be personally responsible, as well as their relevant organizations.

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“We want liability shared among the officers involved, as well as corporate responsibility for KDF, KOF, National Lands Commission (NLC), and the National Police Service,” the Uasin Gishu leaders said in the statement.

KDF officers are said to have fired at the members of the public who had questioned the motive of their presence at Chebarus Primary School with surveyors on Christmas Day.

Two people were shot dead, while several others sustained gunshot wounds and are receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.