How rogue NAMUNYAK Wildlife Conservancy (NRT) rangers in Samburu got away with attempted murder in 23rd Jan 2020

How rogue NAMUNYAK Wildlife Conservancy (NRT) rangers in Samburu got away with attempted murder in 23rd Jan 2020

BY CORRESPONDENT

With a twitching eye, Mr Jacob Mwema Malombe explains how he came face to face with death on 23rd January 2020. He recalls his ordeal under blood thirsty Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy (NRT) guards in Samburu East at Lerata market who had waylaid their truck along Archers post – Wamba road.

‘It was around 2:30 PM while riding in our truck registration number KBH 032Z belonging to Mombasa Maize Millers when a Namunyak land cruiser KCW 710E overtook us and blocked the road. Four uniformed guards totting guns and rifles disembarked from the vehicle and ordered us to lie down at gun point’ he recalls.

His ordeal is not an isolated case. Many residents at Lerata told repoters that Namunyak rangers have been marauding along the road robbing businessmen and private vehicles using government issued rifles. Our efforts to reach the ranch officials came to a nought before we went to press.

‘The guards, commanded by a hulking man with the rank of chief inspector Richard Lukorokoru descended on me with crude weapons, beating me to a pulp while firing four bullets that whizzed over my head. They continued to torture me while hitting me with gun butts, rungus and kicking me while demanding for 50,000 in cash. After ransacking my pockets, they forced me at gunpoint to send them Ksh 20,000 via Mpesa which was received by number 0703383181 belonging to THOMAS LENGURDE.

At the scene we were bundled into vehicles, with our driver Timothy sandwhiched between two armed Namunyak rangers who kept prodding him with guns demanding for more money’ he said.

After the case went to court, Jacob recalls that NAMUNYAK wildlife conservancy owner Ian Craig who is listed as the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) Chief of Conservation and Development started threatening him via his lawyers OCHIENG’ OGOLA & COMPANY ADVOCATES who he was now using to make him withdraw the case.

At Lerata market, his attackers tried to incite the residents to burn their vehicle, but the residents demanded to know their crime and declined.

Residents interviewed by a correspondent through Furaha FM of Mwariama TV of Meru said that Ian Craig must be dealt with by the Government because of his continued oppression and repression using guns provided by the Government through the then Samburu East (Wamba) sub-county police commander.

"It's a well elaborated game of extortion overseen by the mzungu himself because he is the one who sanctioned the attack' said Jacob.

Jacob Mwema Malombe is now appealing to President William Ruto whom he voted for, and who promised to help all ‘hustlers’ during his campaigns for presidency, to intervene on his behalf so that justice is served and compensation granted amounting to 100M due to the permanent injuries he suffered under the rangers.

He has tried to seek intervention for justice which has been denied from all avenues including the court system, IPOA and the DPP office, but to no avail.

"These rogue rangers of the so called Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy Trust claimed that my FH Mitsubishi KBH032Z had killed their colleague during a hit and run incident. It was a pretext for robbery with violence and they were planning to kill me after that. I only escaped due to God's grace" recalls Jacob.

‘ After the attack I had to quit my job under medical grounds because my health had deteriorated owing to the extreme beating that I went through from the NAMUNYAK wildlife conservancy rangers. Even the Mombasa Maize Millers never paid me any gratuity even after a written demand from the labour authorities.

My family has endured extreme suffering including being abandoned by his wife and children. I attend clinics every two weeks for therapy and counselling among others’ added the victim.