By Rose Mwangangi in Mwingi
May 2, 2026 | The Anchor
Grief hung over Tseikuru in Mwingi North as seven victims of a recent bandit attack in Kwa Kamari were laid to rest following a joint memorial service at Tseikuru Primary School.
This came against a backdrop of fresh security fears and looming evictions announced by Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe.
Residents from Kwa Kamari, Nguni, Kaseluni, Mang’ulu and Masyungwa say they remain exposed to repeated attacks by armed bandits, blaming poor mobile network, roads and lack of electricity for delayed response during emergencies.
Many fear the killings could recur,given the fact that the conditions that made them easy targets are still existing.
Leaders led by Dr.Malombe, Woman Representative Dr. Irene Kasalu and Mwingi North MP Engineer Paul Musyimi Nzengu attended the burial, where calls for urgent security intervention dominated speeches.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who skipped the burial due to a campaign tour in Homa Bay County, addressed mourners by phone, urging unity and resilience even as he called for stronger protection of residents.
But even as families buried their dead, a new anxiety emerged. Governor Malombe announced that the county will move to evict herders—both Akamba and Somali—who have settled within designated game reserves across at least eight wards.
The directive, he said, is intended to restore protected land and ease rising conflict.
The announcement has heightened uncertainty in an area already grappling with insecurity and fragile livelihoods.
At the same time, leaders are under pressure to confront escalating human-wildlife conflict.
In parts of Kitui, including Endau Malalani, residents report frequent elephant invasions that have destroyed crops and endangered lives, accusing the Kenya Wildlife Service of inaction.
For many in Mwingi North, the convergence of bandit attacks, wildlife threats and impending evictions paints a grim picture.
As the community mourns, fear persists that without swift and coordinated intervention, the burials in Tseikuru may not be the last.
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