- A herder was killed at Makinya in Igembe North on November 12 and nine police officers injured in an ambush the following day.
- The government had been engaging elders from all the communities in talks for restoration of peace.
The government has said it won’t engage elders in talks after they failed to cooperate, leading to an attack on nine police officers on the Meru-Isiolo border.
Eastern region commissioner Isaiah Nakoru expressed disappointment over the murder of a civilian at Makinya area of Igembe North, Meru county, along the border with Isiolo on November 12 and injury of nine police officers the following day who were on patrol.
Speaking in his Embu office on Friday Nakoru, said before and after the incident the government had been engaging elders from all the communities in talks for restoration of peace and surrender of illegal guns in the hands of residents of Isiolo and neighbouring Marsabit counties.
Nakoru, however, said the talks had not yielded fruit as no illegal guns were surrendered and attacks by suspected bandits continue, including the killing of the herder from Meru and the injury of officers who were on patrol.
He directed all those with illegal guns to surrender them to the police, promising that nobody would be punished if they surrendered the weapons voluntarily.
He said if they don’t soon there will be a mop up of the illegal firearms and the suspects will be dealt with accordingly.
“We have been engaging the elders from all the communities in talks to restore peace in the area and to convince those with illegal guns to surrender them but all has been in vain. We can’t continue talking endlessly and thus we shall show them that the law has to be upheld,” Nakoru said.
He said following the attack several people had been arrested and were assisting the police with investigations. More suspect were being pursued and the illegal guns they used were being sought, the administrator sai.
Nakoru urged political leaders to support the government in pursuing criminals instead of appearing as if they were supporting them.
He attributed regular attacks along the bolder to disputes over gazing land, theft of properties and quarrels over water. Nakoru saidd the attacks were currently unwarranted since there was enough rain to provide pastures and water. He said people should not kill over such issues.
The nine police officers were shot and injured in an ambush by raiders at Makinya in Igembe North, Meru county, on November 13.
The episode came a day after armed attackers from neighbouring Isiolo county killed a herder and injured two others the previous day on November 12.
Meru county police commander John Mwanzia was quoted in the media saying among the injured were three GSU officers, five Anti Stock Theft Unit officers and a boda boda rider who was caught in the crossfire.
Mwanzia said the security officers were attacked while patrolling grazing areas following the killing the previous day
Herdsmen from Meru and Turkana communities have been fight over sections of the area, which serves as grazing land for Meru herders.
The officers sustained injuries on various parts of their bodies and were taken to Maua Methodist Hospital and Isiolo Referral Hospital.
Edited by Henry Makori