Ngomeni man nearly hacked to death by camel herder

A Kanyunyi villager in Ngomeni ward in Mwingi North Sub County of Kitui on Saturday escape death by whisker after he survived being beheaded by a camel herder.

Mr Mutua Mutua at Ngomeni Health Centre after being attacked by a camel herder. /MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT 

According to a police incident report, Mutia Mutia aged 42 years old was slashed in the neck by a camel herdsman at around 6.30 pm as he was driving out a herd of 100 camel that had strayed into his farm.

While confirming the incident, Kyuso Sub- County Police Commander Nicholas Mutua within whose jurisdiction the incident occured said the herdsman attacked his victims with the apparent intention of hacking him to death.

Mutua told MWINGI TIMES on phone that  he had dispatched a team of security officers backed by Kenya Police Reservists to the area to track the fleeing attacker and also trace robbers who raided the home of  Sammy Musya in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

"We have received information that at around 4 am on Sunday morning,  armed bandits drove into a home in Kanyunyi village and forced the occupants to flee for dear life.

 "We are investigating the incident to established whether it has any connection with the stabbing incident that happened on Saturday," he said.

He said it was not clear whether the bandits who arrived at Musya's home  in a Probox car were armed with rifles or not. He said they numbered about six.

Mutia who miraculous survived being killed by the herdsman's dagger suffered a deep cut at the back of his neck. He was left for the dead with blood oozing from the gash.

He was however, rescued by fellow villagers who took him to Ngomeni Health Centre where the deep gash was stitched. 

A church leader Jeremiah Nyayo who presides over the Mandongoi Full Gospel Church accused the government of failing to drive the hostile camel herders from the area even after a October 27 ultimatum for them to move out in 10 days lapsed.

"The government has been taking us for a ride. Why have they not pushed the killer and aggressive Somali herders out of our area since the expiry of the ultimatum? They may force use to seek other means to drive out the camel herders," he said without elaborating.

He said it was painful for camels to rove into peoples' shambas where crop had been planted following the onset of the delayed October-December short rains.

Nyayo said worse still the herders appear to  have formed into  livestock stealing cartels. "They use Probox taxis to transport goats they steal from locals to far off places like Mboga Wells in the neighbouring Tana River County. It is imperative to get the herders out of our midst and the sooner the better," he said.

Mutua hinted that a massive operation to drive the camel herders out of the affected areas of Ngomeni will kick off on Monday.

"We have had enough of the visiting camel herders.  We are getting them out of our area starting tomorrow," added the Kyuso police boss.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT