Family want justice for son allegedly killed by armed forest ranger

Narok,

Monday December 18, 2023

KNA by Ann Salaton

The family of a young man killed in a melee that ensued between Kenya Forest Service (KFS) rangers and the community wants the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to conduct a proper investigation into the incident.

The family led by nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Jefferson Langat alleged the deceased Edwin Cheruiyot was innocent and unarmed.

The young man was allegedly killed on Saturday at Nkoben area in Narok South Sub County by rangers guarding the forest, who were protecting themselves from an irate mob.

According to a report from the KFS, trouble began after the two rangers found six goats and six sheep grazing illegally within a newly planted forest without the owner.

The rangers were forced to impound the livestock as per the law, hence decided to escort the livestock to a nearby camp for further action.

However, while on their way to the camp, they encountered a hostile crowd with more than 100 people, who blocked the way and demanded for the release of their animals.

A number of them were armed with crude weapons and threatened to harm the rangers if the animals were not released.

Unfortunately, in the process, one person was shot dead and three others were left nursing serious injuries before the police arrived to calm the situation.

Following the incident, the father of the deceased man Mzee Chirchir Koskei asked the investigating officers to escalate the investigations so as to bring justice to his family.

The old man who spoke in Kipsigis dialect described his son as a soft spoken, humble and obedient man who had a great future.

His immediate neighbour Fredreck Mutai said the deceased will be remembered for his efforts to conserve the environment saying he had a passion for planting trees.

Over 3500 people were evicted from Nkoben part of Maasai Mau Forest, leaving space for the forest to regenerate naturally.

Courtesy; KNA