Two people killed, 10 others injured after bandits ambush bus in Samburu

At least two people were Thursday February 27 shot dead and ten others injured in the latest banditry attack in Samburu County. Suspected bandits ambushed a bus travelling along the Maralal-Baragoi route at the Mbukoi area in Samburu North, opening fire on passengers. Two conductors were killed on the spot, while ten other passengers were injured and are receiving treatment at Samburu County Referral Hospital, police said. Locals said the attack after threats from eye bandits. “We have been threatened for a long time…I even have video clips of the threats,” one local said. The director of Medical Services in Samburu, Dr.Ezra Lekenit, said two patients recovering in the hospital were in critical condition. "The patients were six in number who included four females and two males. Of the four females, two are in critical condition, and one has a penetrating gun wound,” he said. Local leaders have condemned the government’s failure to curb rising insecurity, as attacks on vehicles using the route continue to escalate. "It seems the government is unable to end insecurity in this region because for the whole year, people have been killed along this road as if there is no government. Anything that happens, no government intervention, and we have gone to all security offices, even in the Interior Ministry,” Samburu North MP Elly Letipila said. "There is no safe passage in this county anymore in Wamba; there is insecurity, Baragoi road is unpassable, the road to Basaloi is also impassable we don’t know what to do,” lamented Samburu Woman Rep Pauline Lenguris. The area is among those under Operation Maliza Uhalifu targeting bandits. Launched in February 2023, Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift is a government security initiative that targeted escalating banditry, cattle rustling, and violence in nine counties including Baringo, Turkana, Samburu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Marsabit, Laikipia, Isiolo, and Meru. Hot spot areas in these counties were designated as “Disturbed” and “Dangerous,” in the operation that brought together the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in a coordinated effort to restore peace and stability in the region. Security officers on the ground have effectively disarmed hundreds of bandits, dismantled their hideouts in the rugged terrain, and restored stability to affected communities. To strengthen local security, the government has restructured the management and command of the National Police Reservists. In 2023, a total of 1,702 reservists were recruited and trained in Baringo, Samburu, Laikipia, Meru, Turkana, and West Pokot. At least 400 reservists in Elgeyo Marakwet and Isiolo were re-armed to supplement the ongoing security operations in the area. To enhance governance and improve service delivery, the Government gazetted 126 new administrative units across Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Turkana, Samburu, Meru, and Laikipia Counties. This initiative is aimed at strengthening local administration, improving resource allocation, and enabling a more effective response to security challenges.