- The gunmen drove with unknown number of livestock after the shooting.
- The body was later moved to the Baringo County Referral Hospital.
An off-duty police officer was shot and killed in a reported banditry incident in Sibilo location, Loruk, Baringo County.
Constable Simon Kandie who was stationed at Mawego police station in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay county was on leave when he was shot on Tuesday, March 19 in the morning, police said.
Police say his village was raided by gunmen who were stealing animals and in the process he was shot at close range and died on the spot.
The gunmen drove with an unknown number of livestock after the shooting.
The body was later moved to the Baringo County Referral Hospital.
Police said they laid an ambush on the gang and managed to recover 132 goats from them after an exchange of fire. The gang escaped with some of the stolen animals.
Tension remained high in the area on Wednesday amid fears of retaliation from the affected group.
Police said a reinforcement had been sent to the area to help track the attackers and forestall the possible retaliation.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has in the past weeks visited the places affected by the menace to reassure agencies deployed there of the government's commitment in the war against banditry.
He has visited Meru, Laikipia, Baringo, Samburu, Isiolo, Elgeyo Marakwet and Marsabit as part of the campaigns against the menace.
Residents have staged protests over the attacks calling for more efforts to address the issue despite Kindiki's declaration that bandits would face the same treatment as terrorists.
“We are bringing in special forces to help us deal with the hardcore commanders of banditry. To ruthlessly pursue the livestock rustlers, we are deploying the same measures we've deployed to tackle terrorism," Kindiki said.
"There is no difference between bandits and terrorists. Their ideology is the same and they must be shown no mercy."
He said, the ongoing operation, dubbed Maliza Uhalifu, will persist for the long haul until the banditry menace is decimated.
"I reiterate that this administration will end the nonsense of livestock theft and open up the North Rift Valley Region for development and economic growth."
He added the number of bandit commanders who have either been neutralised or arrested is testimony to the success of the operation.
"The many planned banditry attacks that have been thwarted, the huge recovery of stolen livestock and the return of economic activities, such as farming to areas that were for a long time hotspots for armed criminals is clear evidence of the success of ongoing security operations and the effects of strategic measures established by our multi-agency security officers.”
He also revealed the government's plan to set up peace schools in the troubled North Rift.
He said the schools will cater to children from different communities who will be taught in an environment free from the bad influence of negative things like banditry and livestock rustling.
"That way, we will be creating a new generation that is not poisoned by negative things like banditry and livestock rustling," he added.
"As a government, we believe that there is no child who is a bandit. No child is born a criminal. They are taught these evil habits as they grow up."
Kindiki said multi-agency security patrols, reorganised command and additional deployments have been put in place to ensure sustainability of the ongoing effort.
Beyond the kinetic operations for pacification of the area, the communities within the affected parts are required to share intelligence and expose local collaborators who enable livestock raiders to succeed, he said.