Gunmen Shoot, Damage Chopper Dropping Examination Papers in Kapedo
Multi-agency teams are investigating an incident in which a helicopter was shot at and damaged in an attack in Kapedo, Turkana County.
The private chopper is among those that had been hired by the Kenya National Examination Council to distribute national examination papers on November 1 when the incident happened.
Police said the incident happened at about 12 pm.
One Captain Imam Makanda a pilot of Helicopter 5YZKL and his co-pilot William Maiyo were on their way to Samburu county after distributing KCPE/KPSEA examination papers within some parts of Turkana county between Lokori and Kapedo when they heard gunshots.
They later realized their chopper had been hit by the bullets. The pilot managed to fly the helicopter and landed safely at Maralal police station. During the incident, no injury was reported.
The area is among those badly affected by insecurity due to cattle rustling. The gangs behind the trend are so emboldened that they strike at will.
An ongoing operation to tame the vice has not borne any fruits.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki was in parts of Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu as part of efforts to heighten the war on the gunmen. He said politics, ethnicity, culture, religion or other affiliations must be separated from the fight against the criminal atrocities perpetrated against the people of Kenya through the terror of bandits.
“The government is determined to permanently destroy the intricate infrastructure of banditry by going for its benefactors, beneficiaries, accessories, planners and executors,” he said.
He said political and other leaders must refrain from politicizing security matters or trying to meddle with security operations to allow the organs and agencies wage a decisive, ruthless and conclusive war against the impunity and terror of banditry.
He said multi-agency security officers deployed in the six North Rift Valley Counties will remain on the ground for the long haul, until the banditry menace is eradicated.