NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan security teams have recovered 15 boats, a motorbike, and a firearm stolen during a brutal raid by Ethiopian gunmen on a fishing village in Turkana, which left at least 20 fishermen dead.
The stolen items were handed over by Ethiopian authorities after a meeting in Lopemkat, Ethiopia, marking the first step in a tense cross-border effort to restore peace.
The firearm had been taken from a National Police Reserve (NPR) officer during the February 22 attack, according to police reports.
Security officials from Kenya also provided body bags to Ethiopian counterparts for the collection of bodies, should they be found.
Meanwhile, six members of Ethiopia’s Desanach community, who had been caught in the violence, were rescued and safely returned to their country.
Authorities from both nations held a peace meeting on Sunday in Lotiira, seeking to defuse the escalating tensions following the deadly raid.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the affected Todonyang area on Monday, urging residents to remain calm as efforts to resolve the crisis continue.
“I know it is painful to remain here with more than 20 of your people unaccounted for. We are doing all we can to solve this matter,” Murkomen assured the community, announcing the deployment of additional security personnel along the River Omo to search for the missing individuals.
To bolster local security, Murkomen also pledged new kits and increased allowances for NPR officers operating in the region.
Additionally, plans are underway to establish an official border post to regulate movement and enhance surveillance.
The attack on the fishermen is believed to have been a retaliatory strike following an earlier killing of three people—suspected Ethiopians—who were ambushed in a similar incident.
That attack itself was linked to the murder of a 24-year-old Kenyan herder, Kai Ebu, who was shot in the head in Merikuka village on February 21.
Ebu had been grazing his calves near the Loyoro River along the Kenya-Ethiopia border when he was targeted by raiders, suspected to be from Ethiopia.
His killing sparked renewed violence in an area already grappling with frequent cross-border raids.
Security operations have since been intensified along the Kenya-Ethiopia border to prevent further retaliation.
Authorities are working to break the cycle of violence that has long plagued the region, fueled by conflicts over resources and territorial disputes.
The government has already launched broader security operations in Turkana and neighboring counties to curb attacks by raiders, particularly those targeting livestock.
However, the latest incidents underscore the deep-seated tensions that continue to make the border region a flashpoint for violence.
