One person was killed and a herder injured following an armed bandit attack in Marti area of Loiyangalani, Marsabit County, during which approximately 3,000 goats and sheep were stolen before being recovered.
The attack occurred on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at around 10am when herders were moving their livestock from Mouwokiteng area towards Lardapach.
According to police, the herders were accompanied by a National Police Reservist (NPR) when they were ambushed by suspected armed bandits.
The attackers reportedly drove away approximately 3,000 goats and sheep towards Arapal.
Police officers, accompanied by the Quick Response Unit (QRU), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel and NPRs, rushed to the area following reports of the attack.
Additional NPR officers were mobilised, leading to the recovery of all the stolen livestock.
During the confrontation, Angolekon Loibach, a 30-year-old man, was shot and injured in his right leg. He was rushed to Loiy Care Clinic for treatment.
The body of an unidentified adult Samburu man was also discovered at the scene lying in a pool of blood, facing upwards, with apparent gunshot wounds.
The recovery team subsequently retreated on foot because the terrain was inaccessible to motor vehicles.
Police said the area remained tense following the incident, with security patrols set to be intensified to prevent further attacks and possible retaliatory violence.
Investigations into the attack and the circumstances surrounding the death are ongoing.
The menace has been persistent amid police operations to address it.
Most of the attackers invade the area from the neighbouring counties in the worrying trend despite heavy police deployment there.
Samburu and Marsabit are 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.
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