Citizen TV Journalist Emmanuel Cheboit Narrowly Escapes Death in West Pokot Bandit Ambush
Citizen TV journalists on Monday narrowly escaped an attack by suspected bandits while reporting on insecurity along the troubled West Pokot–Turkana border.
The team led by reporter Emmanuel Cheboit had gone to Kalomwai village to document the rising violence when gunmen believed to be bandits opened fire. Panic set in as bullets flew and Cheboit and several residents ran for cover.
A video later shared by Citizen TV showed the journalists sprinting to nearby houses as gunshots rang out. None of the media team was injured but the incident highlighted the danger faced by residents and journalists in the region.
Cheboit, the station’s Turkana correspondent, had to abandon his interviews mid-way. “It was scary,” a resident said. “These bandits are causing chaos in this area. Just recently they attacked us while we were attending an event organised by the governor. We managed to escape. God helped us.”
Security in West Pokot has worsened in the past two weeks with at least ten people killed. On Saturday, two residents were shot in Nakumori while walking from church and a day later armed men attacked a nearby gold mining site and set ablaze an excavator worth KSh16 million.
Residents have called on President William Ruto’s administration to boost security along the border and deploy more officers.
The latest incident comes days after Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen asked bandits to surrender their illegal guns, offering a short amnesty period before a government crackdown. “Those who fail to comply will face the full force of the law,” Murkomen said during a recent security briefing.
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Citizen TV Journalist Emmanuel Cheboit Narrowly Escapes Death in West Pokot Bandit Ambush