Members of the Recce Squad, an elite paramilitary unit of the General Service Unit, during the commissioning of a new batch of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Standard Duty Vehicles at the GSU headquarters in Nairobi on March 6, 2025.
What began as a typical quiet Sunday for residents of Kalemengorok in Aroo, Turkana County, quickly turned tense after officers from the Special Operations Group (SOG) arrived in armoured vehicles and land cruisers, their faces covered in masks.
The calm of the morning, with people attending church, tending to shops at the trading centre, or simply going about their homes, was suddenly interrupted as the elite paramilitary unit moved across the town, ordering and demanding that everyone gather for a hurriedly convened public baraza.
Residents who hesitated or lingered at the market claim they were beaten and forced to attend. They would soon learn that this was part of a high-stakes security operation underway along the Turkana-West Pokot border, targeting bandits and illegal firearms.
At the meeting, the air was thick with fear and whispers as names of suspected illegal gun owners, including politicians, government officials and influential community figures, retired officers and even deceased warriors, were read out aloud.
Local administrators were tasked with guiding the team to locate suspects, and a three-day window to surrender weapons was also announced.
“It became clear this was not an ordinary security operation. Anyone who delayed attending the baraza was beaten and forced to go. Even those just going about their business were forced to attend, and people were told they had three days to surrender their firearms,” said a local resident, Mr James Kisike.
Chiefs, assistant chiefs, and police reservists were expected to provide lists of suspected gun owners, with non-compliance reportedly punishable by assault.
By midday, Kalemengorok had transformed into a tense checkpoint, with SOG officers inspecting homes, questioning locals and coordinating with chiefs and police reservists as the sweet on bandits and illegal gun owners along the volatile Turkana-West Pokot border intensified.
Turkana County Police Commander John Tarus confirmed that an SOG operation was ongoing, but declined to give further details.
“The operation is ongoing, but I am not in a position to comment on the matter,” he said.
Members of the Recce Squad, an elite paramilitary unit of the General Service Unit, during the commissioning of a new batch of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Standard Duty Vehicles at the GSU headquarters in Nairobi on March 6, 2025.
The operation forms part of Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift, a joint effort by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Police Service that began in February 2023.
The SOG’s involvement comes a month after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that security teams were equipping and training officers for a tough crackdown on defiant bandits.
The early phase of the operation has already yielded results, with two firearms surrendered to the authorities, a move the National Police Service said demonstrates growing cooperation between security agencies and communities.
The operation has sent ripples across the border, with residents expressing cautious optimism that systematic disarmament will reduce violence and restore security.
Ms Alice Longor, a resident of Aroo, said illegal gun owners, whether relatives or political allies, must be exposed so that villages are free from arms.
“The chiefs, assistant chiefs, and police reservists are critical in revealing illegal gun ownership, whether relatives or political confidants,” she said.
Residents brutalised
While some locals support disarmament, there are concerns over human rights and transparency, as leaders and church authorities call for justice, equity, and lasting peace.
Some locals expressed frustration and questioned the aggressive manner in which the operation was executed and the lack of prior notice.
Mr John Edia, a Kalemengorok villager, asked why the action had not been officially communicated beforehand.
“Before the operation reached Kalemengorok, many people at Kainuk town were brutalised. I believe the disarmament exercise should have been gazetted first so that, in case of human rights abuses, the government could be held accountable. Human dignity must be respected,” he said.
He added that while they support the security operation, it should not only target towns and urban centres, but also extend to remote villages and bandit hideouts in the South Turkana National Reserve and gorges.
In Kainuk, the SOG visited homes of known police reservists, local administrators and a deceased politician. Officers also monitored neighbouring community leaders, ensuring no suspected gun owners were overlooked.
A chief from Aroo Sub County told Nation that the operation was thorough and vigorous, with local leaders and administrators from neighbouring communities also under scrutiny.
“We are required to provide names of people with illegal guns in our sub-location or location, failing which we risk assault. Chiefs, assistant chiefs, and police reservists are critical to this operation,” he said.
“Illegal guns must be removed, whether they are used in crime or not. They are often used to settle political scores,” he stated.
The operation follows attacks such as the Kakong raid, where six people were killed and over 1,000 livestock were stolen. Bandits often flee to caves, gorges, valleys, or across the border into Uganda after launching attacks, making arrests and disarmament enforcement challenging.
“We hope this operation ends recurring attacks. Local administrators must cooperate and name anyone with illegal guns for the sake of peace,” said Mr James Ekitela, a Kainuk resident.
Members of the Recce Squad, an elite paramilitary unit of the General Service Unit, stand next to a new batch of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Standard Duty Vehicles at the GSU headquarters in Nairobi on March 6, 2025.
He described the town’s position on the border as a persistent target for retaliatory attacks and frequent security operations.
The SOG-led operation is the government’s most sustained attempt to curb banditry and eliminate illegal firearms along one of Kenya’s most volatile borders.
While controversial and physically painful for some, the government has maintained that the objective is to restore order, protect livelihoods, and ensure lasting peace for the Turkana and West Pokot communities.
Residents are hopeful that after disarming the widely perceived untouchable financiers of crime along the border, authorities will move systematically to destroy bandit hideouts that serve as armories and training grounds.
Mr Murkomen, who visited Turkana last month after bandits raided Kakong village and killed six people and stole more than 1,000 livestock, noted that attacks from both sides of the boundary are often perpetrated by well-funded criminals operating across borders.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen addresses the media outside West Pokot County Commissioner's office in Kapenguria, after meeting county security bosses on July 17, 2025.
According to CS Murkomen, disarmament in other volatile border areas, including Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot counties, has been successful, paving the way for the next phase along the Turkana-West Pokot boundary.
“We have made progress in Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot; the next phase is Turkana-West Pokot,” he said, assuring that the operation will be painful for profiled bandits and their sponsors.
“This operation will be painful for profiled bandits and their sponsors, who buy ammunition and incite communities. This is about sustainable peace. No one is untouchable,” the CS warned.
Border politicians and administrators have publicly endorsed the operation, while residents hope the crackdown will target financiers of crime and disrupt the networks supplying ammunition to bandits.
Lokichar Ward MCA Samuel Lomodo expressed full support, but called for fairness in disarmament across both Turkana and West Pokot counties.
“We back the government’s effort to seize illegal guns. Operations in Turkana and West Pokot must, however, happen simultaneously to ensure fairness,” Lokichar Ward MCA Samuel Lomodo said.
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