TURKANA, Kenya — At least four people were shot dead on Saturday during a banditry attack in Aroo area of Kainuk, Turkana County, in the latest incident highlighting persistent insecurity along Kenya’s northwestern corridor.
Police said the victims — three herders and a road user — were gunned down at close range in Kakong village after armed attackers raided the area and attempted to make off with about 500 goats.
The road user, a driver travelling from Lodwar to Kitale in a saloon car, was caught in the crossfire after his vehicle ran into the attack, police said.
Local police reservists and regular officers responded swiftly, engaging the gunmen in a firefight that forced them to abandon the stolen livestock and flee.
It was during the security operation that officers discovered the bodies of the four victims.
The bodies were moved to a local mortuary, while the driver’s vehicle was taken to a nearby police station pending further investigations.
Security officials said separate reports indicated that at least two other people had earlier been killed in the same area amid rising tension, raising fears of retaliatory attacks.
An intensive security operation was later launched, but the assailants had already escaped.
Additional personnel were deployed to the area to prevent further violence, with sections of the Lodwar–Kitale road temporarily rendered impassable as police escorted motorists through the affected stretch.
The attack comes despite ongoing security efforts under Operation Maliza Uhalifu, a multi-agency crackdown targeting banditry and livestock theft across Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru and Isiolo counties.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen at the weekend launched a renewed security tour of the Kerio Valley region, pledging intensified action to dismantle bandit networks and restore lasting peace.
Speaking in Cheptebo, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Murkomen said the government would expand the disarmament strategy that has shown success in Kerio Valley and Baringo to other insecurity-prone regions, including Turkana, Laikipia and Isiolo.
“During my tour, which will also take me to West Pokot, Turkana, Laikipia, Isiolo and Meru, I will assess the security situation and engage residents and security agencies on how to eliminate the remaining acts of banditry,” Murkomen said.
He commended communities in Kerio Valley for cooperating with security agencies and voluntarily surrendering illegal firearms, revealing that more than 1,200 weapons have been collected so far.
Murkomen said the government’s long-term strategy goes beyond enforcement and includes economic empowerment, noting plans to distribute subsidised agricultural inputs and expand extension services to revive livelihoods and reduce reliance on livestock rustling.
He also announced fresh vetting of National Police Reservists (NPRs) and a new policy placing them under the direct command of local police commanders to strengthen accountability and coordination.
“We are dismantling not just the criminals, but the entire chain that sustains cattle and livestock rustling,” Murkomen said.
Banditry attacks have continued to disrupt development, trade and transport in northern Kenya, despite sustained security operations.
