Armed raiders attacked a village in Loiyangalani, Marsabit County, killing two herders in a violent incident.
The assailants also injured two other herders and fled with an unknown number of goats during the June 5 attack in the Marti area.
Police said the injured victims are currently fighting for their lives in the hospital.
A team of officers who responded to the scene managed to recover all the stolen goats after engaging the attackers in a gunfight.
The assailants escaped, and a manhunt is now underway as tensions rise and fears of retaliatory attacks persist.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to the mortuary, pending autopsy.
This latest attack comes even as security operations continue in the region to curb such incidents.
The area is currently under Operation Maliza Uhalifu, which was launched in 2024 to combat cattle rustling and related crimes.
The multi-agency operation has achieved notable success in suppressing crime in Marsabit and other counties, although sporadic attacks persist.
It targets several hotspot regions, including Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru, and Isiolo.
Besides reactive measures, the government is also focusing on strategic investment and sustainable development as part of a broader approach to fighting crime in Kenya’s Northern Frontier and the Kerio Valley belt.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the long-term goal is to empower local communities to participate actively in efforts against livestock theft and to engage in productive, legitimate activities.
He announced plans to distribute subsidized farm inputs and extension services to revive agriculture as an alternative livelihood.
“We are coming to dismantle not only the criminals but the entire chain sustaining the livestock rustling industry,” he said, adding that all National Police Reservists (NPRs) will undergo fresh vetting.
