Sluggish, ineffective police response to blame for Baragoi killings – Turkana professionals
Police officers on patrol in Samburu.
A section of professionals in Turkana have accused the state security officers stationed in Samburu and Turkana of laxity and blamed them for rising cases of insecurity in Baragoi, Samburu North.
The group Turkana Professionals Association claimed that the security agencies – the National Police Service, the Kenya Defence Force, the National Police Reservists (NPRs) – had received an alert of impending danger before the tragedy that claimed six lives and loss of thousands of cattle in Baragoi on March 10, 2025.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi, Ernest Nadome, the association’s chairperson, described the killings in Baragoi as “unspeakable tragedy and an act of barbarism”.
This recent attack, he said, shook the foundations of the Samburu and Turkana communities who have in the past few years been living in peace.
“The heinous assault on Kileopi in Kawap Location is a stark testament of the deep vulnerabilities our people continue to face. This is not merely a loss of property or livestock; it is a deliberate affront to the cultural heritage, dignity and the very existence of an entire community,” he said.
Mr Nadome said there were efficiencies in the security agencies’ operations, questioning their relevance in the area if such a brutal attack could happen under their watch.
“It is deeply disturbing that, despite the presence of multiple security installations in the region, including the Anti-Stock Theft Unit, GSU camps, police posts, a military camp and NPR bases, the response from these agencies was alarmingly inadequate,” he said.
Mr Nadome said security officers’ response to the attack was sluggish and ineffective and raised grave concerns about their commitment to protect lives and property.
The association wants Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to convene a roundtable meeting with key stakeholders, including professionals from both Samburu and Turkana communities, to address the root causes of the recurring clashes.
“Justice must not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency and ethnic interests. We demand accountability and urgent government intervention to ensure equal protection and security for all members,” Ebu Loter, a member of the association, said.
Though critical of the general lacklustre performance of the state security agencies, the group said they acknowledged the efforts they made in the recovery of livestock that had been stolen at Lowua Laantare and Soit Pus from the Samburu community by bandits.
The group emphasised that innocent civilians continue to bear the brunt of the attacks.
“This tragedy serves as yet another grim reminder of the perpetual insecurity that plagues our communities. It is utterly unacceptable that in this modern era, our people continue to live under the constant threat of banditry, displacement and fear,” Mr Nadome said.
On Tuesday, six people were killed and eight others seriously injured in a cattle raid in Baragoi, Samburu County.
Samburu North Deputy County Commissioner Samuel Mwangi, while issuing an update on the happenings, said that police units have been deployed to restore calm in the region.
In November 2012, more than 40 police officers and reservists were killed in Suguta Valley near Baragoi while on a mission to recover stolen cattle in what is widely known as the Baragoi Massacre.
After more than two years of relative calm, the area where two communities (Samburu and Turkana) live is now seeing a return to its past insecurity era, one that plagued it for nearly three decades.
At least 12 people have been killed this year alone in banditry-related incidents.
The presence of illegal guns in Samburu and other bandit-prone regions has been blamed for elusive peace over the years.
The attacks come months after President William Ruto promised Samburu locals that he would redeploy the Special Operations Group (SoG) to the region to boost security.
During their stay in Samburu North, the SoG also disarmed criminals who possessed illegal arms. More than 96 illegal guns were mopped during the disarmament operation by the revered military unit.