Security teams visit villages after four fishermen killed in Lake Turkana

More security personnel were sent to villages in Todonyang, Turkana County, after gunmen fatally shot four fishermen at the shores of Lake Turkana.

The motive of the May 15, 2025, morning shooting was not immediately known.

Local officials suspect the gunmen were on a revenge mission.

The incident prompted tension in the area, with more security personnel being deployed. More teams were expected in the area on Friday, officials said.

Police said they are pursuing the attackers who are believed to have fled to probably Ethiopian border.

Police said they responded to the scene and found four bodies riddled with bullets.

The victims were shot at close range, police said. One of the victims was aged 25, another 32, the third one 22 and a woman aged 25.

Police said the bodies were moved to the mortuary pending autopsy. This is the latest such incident to happen in the area amid claims of attacks from outsiders.

Police said they are investigating the incident. In February this year, more than 20 fishermen were shot and killed in the same area.

The incident happened on February 22 evening in Lopeimukay and Lotiira area, police said.

Most of the bodies were not recovered.

An unknown number of villagers were injured in the attack, believed to be out of retaliation by the Dassanech gang, police said.

The area has poor infrastructure.

The river where the incident happened extends from Ethiopia, where the fishermen had ventured.

The tension had been growing in the area in the past weeks following the sighting of gunmen from Ethiopia. They were seeking to revenge, officials said.

As part of efforts to tame the practice, the government launched an operation covering other counties, including Turkana. This has seen some of the raiders escape to Ethiopia. They usually stage attacks in Kenya and escape.

Launched in February 2023, Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift is a government security initiative that targets escalating banditry, cattle rustling, and violence in nine counties, including Baringo, Turkana, Samburu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Marsabit, Laikipia, Isiolo, and Meru.

Hot spot areas in these counties were designated as “Disturbed” and “Dangerous” in the operation that brought together the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in a coordinated effort to restore peace and stability in the region.

Security officers on the ground have effectively disarmed hundreds of bandits, dismantled their hideouts in the rugged terrain, and restored stability to affected communities.

To strengthen local security, the government has restructured the management and command of the National Police Reservists.

In 2023, a total of 1,702 reservists were recruited and trained in Baringo, Samburu, Laikipia, Meru, Turkana, and West Pokot.

At least 400 reservists were re-armed to supplement the ongoing security operations in the area.

This initiative is aimed at strengthening local administration, improving resource allocation, and enabling a more effective response to security challenges.