Protests after 16-year-old herder is shot and killed in Isiolo
File Image of a Police Car
A herder was shot and killed in a banditry attack in Akadeli area, Isiolo Township.
This happened during a failed robbery of 200 shoats.
The shoats were recovered by police who responded to the scene which happened on Saturday January 31, 2026 evening.
Police and locals said gunmen raided the village and killed the teenage herder before attempting to drive off the targeted shoats.
Security teams in the area responded and engaged the gunmen in gunfire before they abandoned the animals and escaped.
The animals were handed over to the owner as the body of the 16-year-old herder was moved to the mortuary pending other procedures. On Sunday February 1, locals staged a protest demanding more action to tame the trend of banditry.
They said the attacks have been persistent in the area leaving many dead and injured and stolen animals.
Police said they had intensified operations to address the menace.
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.
“We are coming to dismantle not only the criminals themselves but also to bring down the entire chain that has been the cattle and livestock rustling industry,” he said.
He also announced a new policy shift, which institutionalizes the command structure of the NPR officers, stating they will hence be under the direct command of the Officer Commanding Police Stations (OCS) as part of efforts to enhance their operations.
The attacks have affected development at large.