Bandits kill police officer, free eight remandees in Baragoi

Security officers in Samburu County are pursuing bandits who shot dead a police officer before aiding the escape of eight remandees en route to Baragoi.

The Tuesday morning incident occurred in the Charda area along the volatile Maralal-Baragoi road as police ferried the remandees to a mobile court.

Samburu County Police Commander Thomas Ototo confirmed the attack, stating that the attackers targeted the vehicle to free the remandees.

"The suspects were facing charges for various criminal offences, including illegal possession of firearms, murder, robbery with violence, and defilement," said Ototo.

The slain officer was shot dead during a gunfight before the bandits managed to facilitate the escape of all eight suspects.

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"We have since launched a joint security operation, comprising Kenya Police officers and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel, General Service Unit (GSU), and other regular police officers in a bid to track down the escapees and apprehend the attackers," said the police commander.

Security teams are combing the rugged terrains in Charda, Mbukoi, and Marti of Samburu North, a region on the verge of slipping back to the dark days of organised crime.

Ototo condemned the attack, even as he termed it as a direct assault on justice.

"We have so far re-arrested two suspects. We will not relent in our pursuit of the other suspects who escaped and even those responsible for this heinous act. They will face the full force of the law," Ototo told the Nation on Tuesday.

The eight missing remandees, who managed to flee during the ambush, have been identified as Kennedy Lekisaat (charged with defilement), Ewoi Lonyogorot (charged with defilement), Namulem Losam (charged with possession of a firearm) and Lorunyei Akware (charged with gang defilement).

Read: Uneasy calm returns to Samburu after bandit attack

Others are Lopasho Ekoriana (charged with gang defilement), Saul Lekisaat (charged with defilement), Lokwawi Adoro (charged with murder/robbery with violence), and  Golong Arii (charged with assault / grievous harm).

Residents in the area have expressed fear over the increasing banditry along the Maralal-Baragoi road, calling for enhanced security patrols and the deployment of additional officers.

The police boss also asked the public to provide any information that could aid in the re-arrest of the fugitives and the capture of the attackers.

The Maralal-Baragoi road has long been a hotspot for banditry and cattle rustling, with frequent ambushes on travellers and even security forces.

Also read: The secretive, military-like life of bandits in North Rift

The road's rugged terrain and the vast, sparsely populated landscape make it difficult for law enforcement to maintain control.

Local leaders have condemned the attack, calling for increased security measures in the region.

"This is a tragic incident that highlights the urgent need for more resources and personnel to combat banditry in Samburu County," said a local official who requested anonymity. "Our security forces are doing their best, but they are often outnumbered and outgunned."

Locals in Baragoi and surrounding areas in Samburu North are living in fear amid tensions of renewed banditry even as the government is yet to reinstate the Special Operations Group (SOG) units—specialised anti-banditry forces previously tasked with combating rampant insecurity in the region.

The delay continues despite a pledge by President William Ruto to address the escalating gun attacks that have plagued the region for decades.

During his visit to Samburu County in November last year, Dr Ruto assured residents that his administration would prioritise security and bring lasting peace to the troubled region. The head of state emphasised the importance of reinstating elite units like the SOG to counteract any attempts by the gunmen to regroup.

Read: Why a village in Baragoi has been abandoned for over 10 years

However, months later, no concrete steps have been taken to deliver on this promise. In January, about four people were killed in Samburu North due to resurgent banditry incidents.

The absence of this unit, which was hailed for silencing guns in the region, has left Baragoi vulnerable—with reports of livestock rustling and sporadic attacks becoming more frequent among Turkana and Samburu communities living in Samburu North.

Dr Ruto told Samburu residents that his administration was planning to redeploy the revered Special Operations Group (SOG) to stop cementing the strides made in the restoration of peace in the region.

He was responding to pleas from Samburu leaders and locals who requested the government to reinstate the SOG in Baragoi and other volatile parts following the resurgence of banditry and cattle raids in the region.

"We will redeploy the SOG here so that we tame resurgent cases of banditry and cattle rustling. These [banditry and cattle rustling] acts do not have a place in our society. Let them move and find another place, not here," said President Ruto.

When they were deployed two years ago, the specialised forces that were drawn from the Special Operations Group complimented the efforts of the Anti Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) and Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) and silenced constant banditry in the Samburu North region.

The SOG used rarely seen technology to spot, trace, and locate armed bandits.

President Ruto maintained that the Kenya Kwanza administration is determined to eradicate cattle rustling in Samburu and several parts of Rift Valley that are constantly troubled.

President Ruto has continuously insisted that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will be stationed in the banditry-prone North Rift areas permanently. The Head of State said that apart from restoring normalcy in the volatile areas, the officers will also take part in community projects to open up the region.