Two men were shot and killed in a failed cattle rustling incident in Angata Barrikoi, Transmara, Narok county.
The bodies were found lying in a sugar
plantation after the failed incident on Sunday, November 23, police said.
This was after more than 17 acres
of land of sugarcane plantation were burnt down in a fire incident.
This followed clashes between two
communities in the area after a failed cattle rustling incident.
Police said there were gunshots that
were heard in the Gethuro area following the attack.
Police rushed to the area and
contained the skirmishes amid rising tensions.
It was then that the bodies of Wesley
Kiprotich and Bernard Kimeto were found in the plantation with gunshot wounds
and partially burnt.
It is suspected that the men were part of a
group that attempted to steal livestock in the area. The other accomplices
managed to escape the scene.
The bodies were moved to the mortuary
pending autopsy and other investigations.
It is believed locals were armed and
ready to respond to the attackers.
The cattle rustling menace has been
rampant in the area amid efforts to address it.
Locals have responded by arming
themselves with all sorts of weapons, including rifles.
The government has promised to address
the menace.
This has seen deployment of more
personnel to the area to respond to the attack. There is an Anti-Stock Theft
Unit deployed to the area.
To address the menace elsewhere, the government has launched an operation.
The operation has managed to contain crime in the area and other counties amid persistence.
The operation targets Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru and Isiolo counties.
Besides retributive reaction, strategic investment and sustainable development have also taken a prominent place among the government’s planned crime control interventions for Kenya’s Northern frontier and the Kerio Valley belt.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the long-term vision is to empower the communities to actively take part in the war against animal rustling and undertake legitimate nation-building activities.
He said plans to distribute subsidised agricultural inputs and extension services to area residents in a bid to revive farming activities as a source of livelihood.
Murkomen ordered fresh vetting for all National
Police Reservists (NPRs) as part of efforts to bolster the operations.
He also announced a new policy shift, which institutionalises the command structure of the NPR officers, stating they will hence be under the direct command of the Officer Commanding Police Stations (OCS) as part of efforts to enhance their operations.
