NAROK, Kenya — The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation into a fatal police operation in Narok County that left several people dead and others seriously injured.
The incident, which unfolded on Thursday in Lolkuruk Village within the Angama Mara area, allegedly involved police officers opening fire on a group of protestors said to have invaded private land inside the Angama Conservancy.
While the number of casualties has not yet been officially confirmed, IPOA described the outcome as “fatal,” with multiple serious injuries also reported.
A rapid response team from the authority was dispatched early Friday to begin collecting evidence and witness testimonies, in line with IPOA’s mandate to investigate deaths and serious injuries linked to police actions.
“The team has been instructed to gather all information relevant to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the incident,” IPOA Chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan said in a statement issued Friday morning.
IPOA Probes Fatal Police Incident in Lolkuruk Village, Narok County. ^EM
The authority has urged calm in the area as investigations get underway and assured the public that its probe will be independent, impartial, and guided by the law.
The protests appear to be linked to ongoing land disputes in the region, though details remain unclear.
Locals have in the past raised grievances over access to and ownership of land around wildlife conservancies in Narok, which are often at the heart of tension between communities, private landowners, and security forces.
IPOA extended its condolences to the families of those killed and those nursing injuries, and promised to make appropriate recommendations to relevant state agencies once its investigation is complete.
This is the latest in a string of controversial police operations in rural Kenya that have drawn scrutiny from rights groups and oversight bodies, with calls growing louder for reforms in how law enforcement handles public unrest and land-related disputes.
