AP officers guard animals at Isiolo Stadium on October 18, 2016. On January 12, 2017, herders were attacked at the Meru/Isiolo border and 400 animals stolen by bandits suspected to be from Isiolo.
The fateful evening of November 28, 2025, remains vivid in the mind of Bishop Richard Mwenda, a resident of Maili Saba in Buuri, Meru County.
A gang of about 40 heavily armed bandits descended on the village, taking strategic positions to counter any possible response.
“They struck at around 9 pm, with some entering homes in the village to identify cattle and keep watch. They were armed with pistols and larger firearms. To deter any resistance, the bandits kept shooting in the air to instill fear. By the end of the siege, I had lost 19 cattle, 22 goats, and eight sheep,” Mr Mwenda recounts.
Since the November 28 raid, bandits have intermittently struck Maili Saba and neighbouring villages, each time targeting a different household.
Caskets bearing the bodies of herders killed by bandits in Tigania East, Meru County, during a requiem mass on January 12, 2022. Seven people were killed in the attack.
Due to the frequent raids, residents of Kithima location are now selling off their livestock in panic to avert further losses. The residents also accuse some people within the community of colluding with the rustlers in a suspected livestock theft syndicate—one the thieves have reportedly dubbed “Meru’s ATM” because they rarely encounter resistance during attacks.
“Within a period of three months, eight homes in my neighbourhood have been hit by bandits and more than 300 cattle stolen. Families have been impoverished, especially as we approach the festive season and the reopening of schools,” Bishop Mwenda says.
Although the raids began earlier this year, the attacks intensified from late September, sparking protests by residents along the Nanyuki–Isiolo road.
In the most recent attack, Mr Stephen Guantai from Maili Nane narrowly escaped death after a bullet grazed his head.
The raid, which occurred on December 8, saw Mr Guantai lose four cattle. It was carried out by five bandits, three of whom were armed with guns.
“I am lucky to be alive. They shot through the door to deter any response, then made away with three bulls and one dairy cow. The bandits are moving from one home to another in a well-organised operation to steal all our animals,” he says.
Mr Patrick Gakuubi, a former councillor who lost 28 goats and four cattle earlier this year, says repeated pleas for government intervention have yielded no results.
“In fact, the thieves are now also targeting shops. I lost all my animals and electronic items from my restaurant in Maili Tano. We have called for security reinforcement in vain,” he says.
Security measures
Meru County Commissioner Jacob Ouma acknowledged the frequent attacks, saying additional security measures had been put in place to avert further livestock losses.
“In the recent past, we have faced several banditry attacks in Meru, but we have fought back and contained the situation. We cannot allow further loss of livestock,” Mr Ouma said during Jamhuri Day celebrations.
According to police reports, three suspects were arrested on December 12, 2025, in connection with the theft of 26 goats on the eve of Jamhuri Day.
The attacks have persisted despite assurances by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki that a security operation would be launched to rid Isiolo, Meru and Samburu counties of the bandit menace.
Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen of failing to honour a promise to order a security operation by December 5.
“When we met the CS and police chiefs in Nairobi on December 2, he promised that a security operation would begin within 72 hours. However, no visible effort to recover stolen livestock has commenced. The national government must fulfil its mandate to protect Meru residents and their property,” Mr Mutuma said.
The meeting between Mr Murkomen, police chiefs and leaders from Meru was convened following the killing of three people, including two National Police Reservists, late last month.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja Kirocho (left), Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen (centre) and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo at Kenya School of Government in Nairobi on March 26, 2025.
Mr Murkomen had also said the ministry would fund the improvement of security roads in the region to enhance access and fully integrate National Police Reservists into peace and law enforcement efforts, among other measures.
Two weeks ago, a defiant Deputy President Kindiki warned that persistent bandit raids in Meru would no longer be tolerated.
“The President has instructed me to ensure we finalise all measures aimed at dealing with banditry in the Meru and Isiolo region. Through these continued attacks, the bandits are mocking the government’s capability. They have dared us, and the government will show its might. The only lasting solution is going after the bandits and smoking them out,” he said.
However, just days after the Deputy President’s remarks, the bandits struck again, making away with goats and cattle.
Over the years, various proposals to tame banditry—including the use of rumen tracking devices and the creation of a security buffer zone between Meru and Isiolo—have failed to yield results.
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