The secretive, military-like life of bandits in North Rift

 Bandit live in Kenya's unstable North Rift is characterized by sworn secrecy, military-style ranks, ignorant young men who are extremely skeptical of their educated peers, and superior intelligence collection that would rival that of any organized force. 

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel sent to quell the unrest in the area have allowed The Saturday Nation to piece together the perilous and adventurous life of the bandits, who have caused trouble for communities for decades. 

100 civilians and 16 police officers have been killed in the past six months, or one every two days on average, in what is turning into Kenya's worst internal security issue. The government sent KDF forces to help police officers defuse tensions two weeks ago as a result of a worsening situation. 

But the bandits' weapons have not been silenced and they have grown even more audacious, as seen by this week's ambush on a KDF convoy in Kainuk. The Saturday Nation has conducted numerous interviews with former bandits, members of the clergy, and national government officials.

And villagers to better understand who Kenya's North Rift bandits are and why efforts to control the "disturbed and dangerous zones" will not be easy. Most armed cattle rustlers obtain their "training" as young lads who receive no formal education and learn to live by the gun in the jungle. 

Boys are taught "the way of men" here, often as young as eight or nine years old, starting with how to grip and shoot a rifle along with lessons on how to survive the harsh environment. Mr. Julius Akeno resides in Tiaty, in the center of the area that is prone to banditry. 

He has experienced everything, and he wrote about it in the book Patrons of Wild Suguta Valley. Boys were kept apart from their moms at a young age and prohibited from sleeping in their mothers' huts, the author explains. 

They gather by the compound's aperit, an outdoor fireplace. Even when they were asleep, they were taught to remain awake. They were instructed to keep their ears open while sleeping with their eyes closed. 

Nobody should enter silently and discover them dozing off. It would be a blunder deserving of multiple cane strikes. Young boys who are treated roughly will become tougher as a result, preparing them for a challenging life ahead.

Target communities

Intelligence collection is the second most significant—and conceivably most sophisticated—aspect of a bandit's life. The reconnaissance, or "recce," is conducted in advance of a raid. The duties of persons in this category are straightforward: 

become familiar with the escape routes used to drive away the target communities' "wealth," as well as learn where the target communities' animals are herded and where they dwell.

They carefully observed the herders' and animals' movements throughout the entire day. Only armed guys were herding the livestock, they observed.

To have a closer look at the area, two groups immediately went to one of the adjacent tallest hills. Mortolee had picked a modest hill that wouldn't draw the herdsmen's attention. He was aware of danger zones. 

In his book, Mr. Akeno describes a raid in which herders on patrol preferred to climb high areas to watch their animals. According to Mr. Akeno, such "recce" expeditions can last up to a month or longer.

There are certain types of rustlers who possess intelligence skills, and their particular task is to spy on distant towns that are about to be assaulted. Such missions can only be completed by those who have been proven and tested, not by anybody else. 

Because this is the most difficult assignment—harder than the raid itself—these folks are highly revered in the community, according to Mr. Akeno.

Ranks

According to Colonel (Rtd) Moses Kwonyike, cattle rustlers typically sleep outside, primarily on riverbeds or in cowsheds, starting at a young age so they may be aware of their surroundings and pacify their supposed foes before ambushing them. 

The retired soldier claims bandits wake up early in the morning before anybody else to monitor all the routes in an effort to find out who came through, check footprints to determine which sort of shoe was worn, and other details. 

This is according to his extensive study of their behaviors. The rustlers are divided into ranks, and depending on the victims they have slain, the victims' bodies bear visible insignia. For instance, when a guy is slain by a rustler, four cuts are made on his corpse.

 

And you might find one with multiple of marks, a sign that he has killed many people. If rustlers demonstrate their skill in defending their village, the elders will reward them by giving them extra livestock. You are more highly regarded the more cuttings you have.

 They are known as generals, and here are some examples of evidence supporting the long-standing practice, according to Mr. Kwonyike. Enock Pkemoi, a 26-year-old ex-bandit from the remote Loyamoi community in Tiaty West, quit school. 

In Standard Three and was quickly attracted to the lifestyle. At the time, there was a severe drought, forcing herders to move their livestock farther away in search of pasture and water—even as far as Kainuk in the neighboring Turkana County. 

He then had to learn how to shoot a gun, which is a necessary skill for a herder in an unstable area where livestock theft is prevalent. He claimed that herders would traverse great distances in search of grass and water in spite of inclement weather and difficult terrain. 

He became resilient as a result, and he adapted to life in the jungle. Before the rains came again, they would stay away from home for a few months. "In case the 'enemy' struck, senior herders used to teach us how to handle rifles and the rules of the battlefield. I quickly developed into a sniper," he said.

Pkemoi transitioned from being a herder to a robber, robbing people in Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, and Turkana despite the dangers. 2009 through 2012 saw him gone from home.

"I recall a raid we carried out on a community in Kainuk, Turkana. There were more than 50 of us, and everyone had a job to do, whether it was defending the group from attackers or chasing away animals that had been taken," he stated.

Together with him, three of his closest buddies from the same village were enlisted as raiders. One of them died from gunfire. "We stole his gun and left the corpse for hyenas to consume.

Of course, we didn't have time to transport it for burial back home, hundreds of kilometers away. Each of us grabbed eight cows when we eventually divided the herd among ourselves, he recalled.

No funerals

Funerals for raid victims are strongly discouraged. In this place, those who survive raids are regarded more than those who perish. It is clear that the ultimate purpose of rustlers is to escape from a raid unscathed by taking the victim's gun and leaving the victim's body in the wilderness for wild animals to eat.

Apart from being familiar with firearms at a young age, Joseph Chesang, a former police reservist (NPR) from the town Kesumet in Baringo North, claims that the offenders' other skills suggest they may have received training from knowledgeable individuals, including ex-soldiers. 

According to Mr. Chesang, a seven-year veteran of the reserve army, the rustlers typically carry AK-47 and G3 guns and ammo concealed in water bottles. Jackson Chemjor, a second reservist who has spent the past seven years at the dangerous Chemoe border in Baringo North, claimed that the bandits, who frequently assault an area, have an abundance of ammo. 

And can battle all day without running out. They typically carry sugar, water, and soaked maize in goatskin bags on their backs to restore their energy because they trek for great distances. They won't feel fatigued with this shipment. 

Because the sugar will replenish their energies, according to Mr. Chemjor. Despite being uneducated, "they know how to handle any advanced guns. The way they prepare ambushes and take cover during raids shows that these people have received expert training. 

An experienced security guard described how brazen the teenage bandits are. He claimed that the raiders have an advantage because they are familiar with the porous and difficult terrain and can simply use it to attack police officers.

In order to prevent residents from calling for help in the event of an attack and security personnel stationed nearby from communicating, attackers would occasionally damage communication masts. The local government's efforts typically go in vain because it frequently entails tracking down armed individuals who are prepared to use their firearms.

According to Lokis Chief Johnston Long'iro, the majority of offenders escape when they learn about an impending disarmament exercise, making it impossible to trace them down. "People leave the communities and relocate far away to neighboring nations like Uganda. Finding such individuals is no joke, according to Mr. Long'iro.

Even while they occasionally learn the names of people responsible for the recent wave of banditry and livestock theft, according to a chief from Kerio Valley who requested anonymity, the suspects frequently flee to other locations and entirely change their identities. 

"The majority of armed criminals don't have identity cards, and they do this on purpose to avoid being caught by the police in case their crimes are discovered. The few people with IDs run away to isolated locations where they cannot be found and change their names. 

There is more to the bandits' way of life and support network than just the armed guys who hunt cattle. The elderly at home and the ladies who are left behind set the scene.

In order to avoid being cornered and to determine whether the mission will be successful, the bandits acquire blessings from ordained elders prior to their raids. In the Pokot culture, the elders, including seers and magicians, are highly revered.

Praise songs

Mothers contribute to the ongoing issue by making fun of their sons who choose to attend school rather than embark on missions to steal livestock. "Women are the driving forces. When their boys go on raids and return with livestock, they write songs to celebrate them, whereas those who haven't are mocked and thought to be less manly. 

Also, they discourage their sons from attending school, according to Col. (Rtd) Kwonyike. He believes that former soldiers may be involved in the activity. "I recall that as part of affirmative action, the Pokot were heavily recruited into the military in the early 1990s.

Most people who joined the military had ulterior motives when they enlisted; for example, some wanted to become pilots or communication specialists so they could eavesdrop on military communications. However, because of their lack of education, they were unable to complete their mission, according to Col. (Rtd) Kwonyike.

Most of them eventually left the army after learning combat techniques from the military. When they returned home, they took on the role of those bush bandits' teachers. The combat skills used by criminals are learned from the veterans of the military. These people need to be looked at because they are the ones who accuse the offenders, he continued.