- Police said they, in a joint operation in Turkana, recovered 2,700 sheep and goats that had been reported stolen by bandits.
- The recovery was realized after a pursuit of the bandits by the team.
Image: FILE
Five men believed to be bandits were killed in separate banditry attacks in parts of the North rift as security agencies increased operations.
Two of them were killed and their bodies burnt in an ambush in Marakwet East, police said.
Police said they, in a joint operation in Turkana, recovered 2,700 sheep and goats that had been reported stolen by bandits.
The recovery was realized after a pursuit of the bandits by the team.
“The livestock was positively identified and handed over to the owners with the help of the local administration. Patrols have been intensified to preserve peace and security in the area,” Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Tom Odero said.
The first clash happened in Tot area where bandits ambushed a group of herders prompting a clash.
According to police, the herders were grazing their livestock at Kachamcham area of Kibiriem location when the ambush happened following an earlier meeting and goat-eating ceremony.
As a result, two of the attackers were shot.
The herders also killed a police reservist who had been held hostage and forced to join the attackers.
According to the police, the herders held the bodies of the reservists and one person before they burnt them and later fled.
They left a G3 rifle belonging to the reservist at the scene but went with its magazine with bullets.
No livestock was reported to have been stolen during the failed ambush, police said.
In Baringo, Kolowa area two reservists were killed in an ambush and more than 400 herds of cattle stolen.
The incident happened on Tuesday night and efforts to trace the attackers are ongoing. The bodies were moved to the mortuary.
Police said in Lokori, Turkana East, a herder was killed in an ambush by gunmen believed to be bandits on Wednesday morning.
The bandits escaped and abandoned more than 2,700 herds of cattle they had stolen.
Dozens of Special Forces are increasingly being embedded in operations in parts of the north rift to address cases of banditry attacks.
The officers will accompany others who are on the ground hunting bandits who are terrorising residents while targeting livestock.
Security officials involved in the operation said there will be additional personnel from the National Police Reserve to enhance the exercise ahead of the opening of schools in the affected areas.
Local leaders are now demanding the withdrawal of Kenya Police Reservists and immediate forceful disarmament by the government.
The areas generally have poor road and communication networks which pose a challenge to the multi-agency team.
To further contain the menace of banditry and cattle rustling, additional 200 NPRs are being vetted and the process is at an advanced stage.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has vowed to end the menace in the area. He said more reservists will be trained and deployed there to reinforce operations.