President Uhuru Kenyatta. PHOTO/PSCU
By ABDULHAKIM SHERMAN
newsdesk@reporter.co.ke
President Uhuru Kenyatta has condemned the attack on Laikipia Nature Conservancy director Kuki Gallmann and warn politicians in the area against making inflammatory statements.
Ms Gallmann was shot and wounded by raiders on her ranch and has been airlifted to Nairobi for medical attention and she is in a stable condition.
A statement issued by State House said the Inspector-General of Police is expected to issue a detailed statement on the incident and how security agents are responding to it.
“The President wants to take this opportunity to warn politicians in the area not to inflame temperatures through reckless rhetoric. Politicians encouraging invasions of privately-owned property or attacks on individuals can expect strong deterrent action in terms of the law,” the statement said.
Ms Gallmann was admitted to a Nairobi hospital following the incident Sunday morning.
Four gunmen shot and injured renowned conservationist Kuki Gallmann in an ambush at a ruined lodge inside her expansive ranch in Laikipia. Ms Gallmann, 73, was wounded in the stomach by armed herders, who have invaded private ranches in the county, as she patrolled her Laikipia Nature Conservancy at around 10am Sunday near a lodge that was recently burnt by arsonists
Kuki Gallmann was flown to Nairobi for treatment. PHOTO/YOUTUBE
The attempt on the life of the Italian-born conservationist and author of I dreamed of Africa at her expansive ranch comes seven weeks after another rancher, Tristan Voorspuy, was shot and killed by the armed herders who have reigned terror on private ranches in Laikipia County for months.
According to the Standard, Patrick Lemelon, Gallmann’s driver, who was present at the time of the attack, said they were ambushed at a bushy section of the 100,000-acre conservancy. Mr Lemelon said they were driving in their Land Cruiser when four gunmen started shooting at them.
“We were patrolling the farm in the morning when we suddenly heard shots from a nearby bush. Four men attacked us and I realised that Nyawira, as we refer to her, had been shot. She was bleeding from the stomach and I alerted the security personnel,” he told The Standard on phone.
The attack occurred around Muktan Lodge, which was three weeks ago burnt down by the illegal grazers who have invaded the ranch. “We had visited Muktan Lodge, which the herders burnt down three weeks ago not knowing they were stalking us in the bush,” said Lemelon.
He said the shots were fired as he tried to navigate a corner and only realised that Gallmann, who was seated in the front passenger seat, had been hit. He said after the incident, he used another route to return home and on the way spotted four other armed men.
