Gunmen attack residents as insecurity worsens in Kuria, Migori

Armed Gang Attacks Leave Trail of Terror in Kuria West Amid Worsening Insecurity
A series of brutal attacks by armed gunmen has plunged sections of Kuria West, Migori County, into a state of fear, with residents reporting a severe escalation of violence and lawlessness. In the latest incident, a gang wielding firearms and crude weapons raided several homesteads in the Ntimaru area, leaving multiple people with serious injuries and robbing them of livestock, cash, and other valuables. The attacks underscore a deepening security crisis in a region long plagued by inter-communal and criminal violence.
According to eyewitnesses and local authorities, the assailants, whose numbers are estimated to be in the dozens, operate with chilling coordination and impunity. Victims described being awoken in the dead of night to the sound of gunshots and their doors being broken down. They were shouting and firing guns in the air. They beat my husband and took all our money and phones before driving away our cattle, recounted one survivor from the Bukira area, who requested anonymity. The injured were rushed to local health facilities for treatment.
The persistent violence has sparked outrage and desperate pleas for intervention from local leaders. Area Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Mwita has publicly called upon the national government to deploy a permanent contingent of the General Service Unit (GSU) or the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) to the region. Our people are being terrorized daily. The current police presence is overwhelmed. We need a specialized, well-equipped force to conduct a decisive operation and flush out these criminals, Mwita stated.
The worsening insecurity in Kuria West presents a direct challenge to the government’s repeated pledges to pacify the region. The cyclical nature of the violence, often linked to cattle rustling and historical clan conflicts, has proven resistant to short-term security measures. As the attacks continue, the pressure is mounting on security chiefs to move beyond reactive responses and implement a sustainable, multi-faceted strategy that addresses the root causes of the conflict and finally restores lasting peace to the beleaguered residents of Kuria.