A Turkana village that has been a refuge for herders escaping harsh drought conditions in the region became a scene of devastation on Monday, when more than 200 armed bandits struck communal grazing fields, stealing thousands of livestock.
Lokwamosing village in Turkana East has rare spring water and gentle grazing slopes. It has been the last refuge for hundreds of livestock in drought-hit parts of the region, currently facing shrinking pasture.
What has been a safe haven for herders during drought turned into a nightmare at around 9am on Monday when armed bandits stormed the village near the volatile border with the Pokot community, stealing more than 2,000 livestock in broad daylight.
Armed attackers overwhelmed a handful of police reservists, leaving herders helpless and schools hurriedly shut down in panic, during the attack that has exposed serious security failures in the region.
Most of the herders who were grazing livestock on communal fields when the incident happened were teenagers and unarmed. With only five National Police Reservists stationed in Lokwamosing, the attackers met no resistance and drove away more than 2,000 livestock.
The grazing fields serve pastoralists not only from Lokwamosing, but also from neighbouring villages, including Lopii, Kaakulit, Lochakula, Nakwakaal, Kahuruko, and Arumrum Alokaaran.
With pasture around the village spring depleted, herders have been forced onto exposed slopes and rocky terrain, increasing their vulnerability.
Among those affected was Stephen Ekadeli, a Lokwamosing herder who lost all his animals.
“If the livestock is not recovered, I will suffer deep social stigma and isolation as a Turkana herder. I had camels and cattle. Now I go to sleep a culturally and economically poor man,” he said.
Robinson Lokol, the Deputy Head Teacher of Lokwamosing Comprehensive School, on February 9, 2026 narrates how banditry has disrupted learning activities.
Photo credit: Sammy Lutta | Nation
The bandits drove the stolen animals towards Lochakula, a former Turkana settlement that once hosted a school built through the Constituency Development Fund but is now believed to be occupied by armed criminals.
Villagers alerted the Sub-County Security Committee, prompting Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai to mobilise security units from Lokori, including officers from the General Service Unit and the National Police Service.
The governor joined the teams on the ground to assess escape routes towards Lochakula, Kaarun, and the South Turkana National Reserve.
Security teams recovered fewer than 150 goats before the pursuit was abandoned about 40 kilometres from Lochakula.
Governor Lomorukai stated that the bandits burned thick vegetation to obscure their tracks before disappearing into the rugged valleys and gorges that are difficult to access.
Despite the limited recovery, the governor praised the efforts of the security officers but warned that Lokwamosing’s permanent spring has become a hotspot for attacks.
“Herders are exposed because this is their only water point, and pasture is shrinking,” he said.
According to the governor, bandits send scouts to gather intelligence on livestock numbers and whether herders are accompanied by armed reservists, before attacking. He said many of the attackers are criminals who fled security operations in the Kerio Valley and have since settled in Turkana East and Turkana South, targeting disarmed herders struggling to survive the drought.
He cited a January incident in which bandits attacked Lopii village during a peace celebration in Sigor, West Pokot, attended by President William Ruto and regional leaders, killing a herder and stealing more than 400 cattle.
“I have informed the Interior Cabinet Secretary that bandits from Kerio Valley only migrated to Turkana’s Lochakula and the South Turkana National Reserve,” the governor said.
More than five attacks have been reported along the border since January, yet stolen livestock, including animals taken from Kakong village, an area under a multi-agency security operation involving the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) and National Police Service (NPS), remain unrecovered.
“Turkana East does not have a multi-agency operation, and its only armoured personnel carrier is in poor condition, yet officers still managed to recover some livestock. Why then has a heavily equipped multi-agency team in Kainuk, with APCs and drones, failed to recover livestock stolen more than ten days ago?” he said.
Local elders said Lokwamosing has historically accommodated herders from across communities during periods of peaceful coexistence.
James Ekalale, an elder in Lokwamosing village in Turkana East Sub County, condemns the recurring bandit attacks on villages along the Turkana-Pokot border during drought seasons.
Photo credit: Sammy Lutta | Nation
Mr James Ekalale, one of the affected elders, said nearly all livestock in the village, including cattle, camels, and donkeys, were wiped out four years ago, leaving families to rebuild through restocking and gifts from relatives.
“The few goats and sheep we rebuilt are what were stolen on Monday,” he said.
The attack has also disrupted learning at Lokwamosing Early Childhood Development Centre and Lokwamosing Comprehensive School, both located between the spring and grazing fields. Teachers and pupils have stayed away since the raid, citing security concerns.
Deputy head teacher Robinson Lokol said teachers and learners were forced to lie on the ground during the attack, uncertain of the bandits’ escape route. The school does not have armed police reservists.
Residents are calling for the recovery of stolen livestock, deployment of adequately equipped security personnel, including drones for surveillance and protection of the spring, which remains the community’s primary water source.
While visiting Kainuk town following a deadly bandit attack in Kakong that left six people dead and more than 2,000 livestock stolen last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced an imminent crackdown on armed groups along the Turkana–West Pokot border.
Mr Murkomen said the violence is driven by well-funded criminals intent on spreading fear and warned that the planned operation would be painful for profiled bandits and their sponsors, whom he accused of supplying ammunition and inciting violence.
He assured border residents that the government would restore peace along the Turkana-West Pokot boundary, citing progress made in disarmament operations in neighbouring regions.
