Cops hunting Kapedo bandits who killed GSU chief

Reinforcements landed in Kapedo, Turkana county, on Monday to track down the killers of a GSU superintendent and those who wounded several security men.

They had been assessing the situation on Sunday and distributing food to terrorised victims of bandit attacks. The superintendent was entering his vehicle to leave.

The officers were trying to determine why why the bandit conflict is persisting. They responded to a  distress call.

The dead officer was identified as Emadau Abako, a dedicated law man and a deputy head of operations. The other victims were not identified by name. 

There are fears more people will suffer in the operation, cattle will be stolen and property destroyed.

Rift Valley regional commissioner George Natembeya said preliminary investigations had established some elected leaders were mobilising communities to take part in armed conflicts in the restive Kapedo area.

He said high-level security teams have been deployed on the volatile border of Baringo and Turkana counties.

Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai said the arriving team would ensure justice for all and culprits and will be arrested.

“We will not allow this menace to go on and that is why we are there now,” he said.

He said more personnel have been deployed at Kabyego between West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, Tiati in Baringo South, Kapedo and Lokori along the Pokot and Turkana counties.

Mutyambai said the GSU camp at Shaba has been moved to Archers post while the Rapid Deployment Unit has been deployed to Mlango, a corridor between Isiolo and Laikipia counties.

A patrol base at Kainuk has been strengthened with a heavy presence of police officers.

Those who survived the Sunday attack said their Land Cruiser was ambushed as Abako led an armoured personnel carrier to a scene where his other colleagues were under siege.

Other reports said at least three civilians have been killed in the same area. Gunmen have in the past week laid a siege in the area causing a stand-off for almost five days.

On Sunday, they had laid a siege to a team officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit when the ambush happened in Ameyen area.

Last week, the gunmen had laid a siege to a school prompting an operation in the area. They were reacting to ongoing security operations in the region to get rid of bandits stealing and robbing them  of cattle.

Last Monday, gunmen killed Ekayapan Edung, 70, prompting the operation.

The attack was in retaliation for the theft of goats from Tiaty area by herders believed to be from Turkana.

More than 30 people have been killed in the area and many others injured since 2014. The worst attack in the area happened in 2009 when more than 40 officers were killed in an ambush.

The officers were pursuing stolen cattle when they were ambushed as they sat in their lorries and were killed by gunmen.

Since then, the government has been focusing on the region by building more development projects and deploying more personnel.

Mutyambai said security personnel had managed to dismantle criminal gangs that were sponsoring cattle rustling enterprises in Laikipia county and sources of the conflict.

The government had gazetted several places in the region as dangerous zones as part of efforts to manage the crisis of rustling and murder.

The decision then in 2017 to gazette the areas was arrived at after consultations with the national security council.

The places include Rumuruti, Ol Moran, Kirimon, Marmanet, Mukogodo East, Segera, Mithiga and Matuiku.

Police operations have been ongoing and all indications are the operations will be extended to curb the rampant insecurity in the region.

The insecurity in the area has been fuelled by the ongoing drought in which herders invade  personal ranches in search of pasture and water for their livestock.

(Edited by V. Graham)