Three security officers have been killed and seven others injured on Friday night by suspected Pokot bandits in Turkana.
Turkana County Commander Samuel Ndanyi has confirmed the incident that happened around KWS and Kaakong area, Turkana South.
He said three security officers were shot dead and seven others were nursing gunshot wounds while patrolling the region.
Ndanyi said the Sub County Police Commander of Turkana South is among those injured security officers.
"Yesterday we experienced two attacks, we managed to repulse the suspected Pokots bandits but they managed to organise a second attack. They found the security officers who were retrieving the bodies and attacked them" he said.
Turkana County Commander said the security officers have been deployed to beef the security in the region.
Peter Esekon, a resident of Kaakong says tension remains high in the region following the killings of security officers.
Three people had earlier been killed in the same area and one was critically injured by gunmen who attacked a matatu at Kakong area of Turkana South.
The bandits ambushed a Lodwar-bound Public Service Vehicle, spraying it with bullets as the driver sped off to avoid the flying bullets.
The driver said he tried to move at high speed and in a zig zag manner to avoid a hit.
The bullets-riddled vehicle belonging to Turkrift Sacco that plies the Kitale - Lodwar route, was headed for Lodwar at the time of the attack, police and witnesses said.
The driver of the matatu Ishmael Wekesa said the gunmen appeared to be pedestrians on the road who posed no danger.
The attack claimed three people and critically injured one. Police said among the dead was a secondary school student, and a refugee who studies in Kitale and was enroute to the camp in Lodwar.
Another group had earlier attacked Kakong village killing two people and making away with more than 150 goats.
The highway attack is the fourth one this month alone, the Matatu operators said as they demanded enhanced security on the route.
Last week, one passenger was injured in a similar attack in Kainuk area. Turkana County Police Commander Samuel Ndayi said more officers have been deployed to patrol the area to repulse further attacks.
Ndayi named the stretch between Kakong and KWS as the most dangerous hotspot along the Kitale - Lodwar highway.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has vowed to deal ruthlessly with bandits in hot spot areas.
He said the government will use its manpower to guarantee the safety of residents.
The CS declared banditry a threat to national security and vowed to flush them out of their hideouts.
"The Government will use force to flush out armed and dangerous bandits and bring permanent peace and security in this area and other affected parts of our Country," he affirmed.
