Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai addressing residents in Kaputir area where two police reservists were shot dead
The killing of two national police
reservists in Turkana county has sparked anger from local leaders who are
demanding action against KDF officers allegedly involved.
Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai visited
Kaputir area where the incident occurred to condole with the families of the
reservists.
He made stopovers at Kalemngorok,
Kakong and Kaputir Junction, where he addressed protesters who had blocked the
Kitale–Lodwar Highway.
Lomorukai questioned why the KDF
officers shot dead reservists who had reportedly surrendered and identified
themselves.
He assured residents that he will
engage the Ministry of Defence to ensure justice is served and the perpetrators
are held accountable.
“The killings caused anger because
the police reservists were innocent. They were in uniform and armed but had
surrendered and should not have been shot dead,” Lomurukai said.
Senior KDF officers in the region
said a statement would be issued on the matter.
The governor said security
personnel working in the region must work together to deal with the common
insecurity challenge that has affected the area for many years.
He said there is urgent need to
flush out bandits hiding in the Turkana South Game Reserve as part of ongoing
efforts to restore peace in the North Rift.
Lomorukai said the game reserve is
a protected area under county management and should not be unlawfully occupied.
He said the Ministry of Interior gazetted
the area as a protected reserve and no one should reside there illegally.
Lomorukai said innocent NPRs, who
were providing security to farmers at the Lokwar Irrigation Scheme, lost their
lives in unfortunate circumstances and called for overhaul of security officers
due to partiality.
He criticised leaders who were
exploiting insecurity and banditry for political gain and questioned how such
attacks continue to occur despite the heavy deployment of security personnel in
Kainuk.
Turkana Woman Representative
Cecilia Ishuu condemned the incident, saying the recovered cartridges
demonstrated the brutality of KDF officers.
She also called for justice and
demanded that the affected NPR families be compensated.
Speaker Charles Lokiyoto emphasised
the importance of dialogue between leaders and residents as a lasting solution
to border-related conflicts.
