Suspected bandit shot dead in clash in Meru

The body of a suspected bandit was found in a thicket after a clash with police reservists in a failed cattle rustling incident in Kathare, Meru County.

Police said the body was found in a thicket after a shootout with the security team that was pursuing them. The body lay next to an AK47 rifle that the suspect had and had three bullets.

There was also a knife and several coins on the body of the man in the January 26 incident.

During the clash, three locals were shot and wounded. They were rushed to the hospital and admitted in a stable condition, police said.

The stolen cows were recovered and handed back to the owners. The police said they had mounted operations in the area to address the persistent attacks by the bandits.

This has led to recoveries of hundreds of stolen livestock. The area is among those under Operation Maliza Uhalifu aimed at dealing with bandits.

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 subsidized 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 said plans to distribute subsidized agricultural inputs and extension services to area residents in a bid to revive farming activities as a source of livelihood.