Citizen TV Journalists Narrowly Escape Death During Bandit Attack in West Pokot
A team of Citizen TV journalists narrowly escaped death after armed bandits attacked them on Monday, November 3, while they were covering growing insecurity along the West Pokot–Turkana border. The situation quickly turned chaotic, forcing the journalists to run for safety.
The team, led by reporter Emmanuel Cheboit, had travelled to the volatile area to document the worsening security crisis in West Pokot.
However, their work was cut short when a group of heavily armed men, believed to be bandits, launched an ambush.
The incident occurred in Kalomwai village, a settlement that lies along the border between Turkana and West Pokot counties.
Witnesses say the bandits began firing indiscriminately as they advanced toward the area where Cheboit and several residents had gathered. The sound of gunfire sent everyone scrambling for cover.
Cheboit, who serves as Citizen TV’s Turkana correspondent, was in the middle of conducting interviews when the gunfire erupted. He and his crew were forced to abandon their equipment and seek shelter in nearby houses.
A video shared by Citizen TV later showed the terrifying moment the journalists sprinted for safety as gunshots echoed in the background. The footage highlighted just how dangerous the situation has become for both residents and journalists working in the region.
Ten Killed in Two Weeks of Violence
According to reports, insecurity in the West Pokot–Turkana border area has escalated sharply in recent weeks. At least ten people have lost their lives in separate attacks within just two weeks, leaving communities in fear and despair.
Only two days before the journalists’ ordeal, two people were shot dead in the Nakumori area as they were returning home from a church service.
The violence did not stop there — the next day, a group of bandits attacked a gold mining site, opening fire on workers and scattering them in panic.
The attackers then set fire to an excavator valued at Ksh16 million, destroying property and livelihoods.
“These bandits are bringing chaos and fear to our lives. Not long ago, they ambushed us while we were leaving a governor’s event. We survived only by God’s mercy,” said one shaken resident, recalling the growing wave of attacks.
Residents Call for Government Action
With tension rising by the day, residents have issued an urgent plea to President William Ruto’s government to take decisive action. They want more police officers deployed to the area and stronger efforts to restore peace and order.
Many say the situation has reached a breaking point, with families afraid to move freely, attend church, or go to their farms.
The latest assault came just three days after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen made a public appeal to individuals involved in banditry to surrender their illegal weapons.
Murkomen said the government had provided a short window during which those in possession of firearms could hand them over to the nearest police station without facing prosecution.
However, residents argue that the situation on the ground remains dire, and that immediate security intervention is needed to prevent further bloodshed.
For journalists like Cheboit, the attack served as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by media professionals working in conflict-prone regions — risking their lives to bring the truth to light.
The ongoing violence in West Pokot and Turkana continues to expose the deep-rooted challenges of insecurity, poverty, and lack of effective law enforcement in Kenya’s northern frontier, where communities have lived under the shadow of bandit attacks for years.
Many now hope that this latest incident will push the government to act swiftly before more lives are lost.
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