Armed gangsters yesterday raided a shop at Naroosura trading centre in Narok South and robbed a businessman of mobile phones and accessories worth more than Sh.30,000 before injuring him.
Confirming the incident, Narok South OCPD Mr. Anthony Shimoli said the over 10 gangsters, believed to be Maasai Morans raided the shop belonging to Ibrahim Sharif at around 4pm and roughed up the shop owner before making away with 24 handsets and accessories.
During the incident, the robbers who were armed with swords, spears and rungus, hit the victim with a rungu and left him lying unconscious on the floor.
The trader was rushed to a nearby medical facility where he was treated and discharged.
No arrests have been made but police are pursuing crucial leads in an effort to arrest the suspects.
Of late, some Morans have turned rogue terrorising residents of Narok by robbing them or forcefully demanding money from them.
Recently, some Morans were arrested and some arraigned in court for violent robbery, but were released after the Maasai elders intervened and reached out to the complainants and asked them to forgive the Morans.
An advocate for the defendants Mr. Martin Kamwaro had invoked Article 159 of our constitution that stipulated for Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR)after reaching out to the complainant who agreed to an out of court settlement.
Narok Court Senior Principal Magistrate Tito Gesora accepted the plea by the Morans but warned them against engaging in lawlessness as they risked being sentenced to death for robbery with violence.
According to Maasai culture, it is a taboo to arrest Morans and should the need arise, police are advised to alert the community elders who are allowed to punish the Morans appropriately. It’s also a taboo to disarm them of the spear and the rungu they carry
Morans are Maasai young men who upon attaining the age of maturity abandon their homes and live in the forest or bushes for several months where they train on how to protect the society and are inducted into the culture of their people.
While undergoing training, they feed on wild fruits and animals.
Nevertheless, the practice is diminishing as many young men prefer to pursue education to higher levels than waste time in the bushes.