A police reservist was shot and killed in a clash with suspected armed bandits in Mlango, Burat Ward in Isiolo County.
The clashes also left four other members of the National Police Reserve with serious injuries.
The team was part of Operation Dumisha Amani on Wednesday, February 18, when they clashed with bandits who had stolen livestock in the area.
Authorities recovered some of the stolen livestock, and efforts are ongoing to track the attackers and recover the remaining animals.
According to Isiolo County Police Commander Isaac Sang, one NPR officer was killed and four others were injured.
The deceased was identified as Augustino Ekale. He was shot in the head and died on the spot before the body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.
The other victims were injured and rushed to a local hospital in a stable condition, police said.
After police successfully escorted the recovered cattle, chaos erupted later the same day when a mob attempted to snatch the livestock at the Isiolo Police grounds, forcing officers to fire shots in the air to restore order.
This led to tension in the area as locals scampered for their safety with many businesses closing down fearing they were under attack.
Police restored order and asked those whose animals had been stolen and recovered to be patient as they sort the issue out for official handover.
The area has been under intense attacks from bandits who are targeting livestock. This has prompted police to deploy more personnel to confront the gangs.
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.
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