Ratia Village residents demand an investigation into the fatal shooting of a Grade 7 pupil.
Ratia Village residents demand an IPOA investigation after police allegedly shot dead a Grade 7 pupil tending livestock.
The Laikipia pupil killing has sparked protests in Ratia Village, where residents accuse police of shooting a Grade 7 learner during a security operation.
The Churo Comprehensive School pupil was reportedly grazing his parents’ livestock during the school holidays when officers shot him. Another herder also suffered serious injuries in the November 9 incident.
Residents seek probe into Laikipia pupil killing
Residents want IPOA to investigate the shooting and establish whether officers acted within the law. They accuse security officers, including police reservists, of using excessive force while removing thousands of livestock from harvested maize farms.
They also demand the removal of the Ol Moran police station commander, alleging that he issued orders to kill. In addition, residents accuse officers of making girls lie in a line on the ground during security operations. They expressed concern about the officers’ intentions.
The protesters further want the government to withdraw ammunition from National Police Reservists and Kenya Police Reservists. They argue that the reservists lack the discipline needed to decide when to use it.
Herders defend grazing agreement with farmers
Residents say the pupil was among herders whose livestock had entered farms under an agreement with landowners. Under that arrangement, pastoralists paid for dry maize stalks, allowing their animals to feed on farms after the harvest.
However, residents accuse security officers of disrupting that agreement by driving the livestock away. The residents, predominantly from the Pokot community, say the arrangement had allowed farmers and pastoralists to coexist without disputes.
They maintain that farm owners had consented to the grazing and considered the arrangement peaceful. They also blame the security operation for worsening tensions between herders and farmers, alongside their demands for accountability over the shooting.
