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Government to deploy KDF to Todonyang to tame cross-border attacks
Security patrols in Todonyang village on the shores of Lake Turkana after an unknown number of fishermen were killed in deadly attacks along the Kenya-Ethiopia border on February 22, 2025.
The government has announced plans to deploy Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel to Todonyang on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, to curb attacks by suspected Ethiopian militia.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said a multi-agency security team will be stationed at the volatile border, which has recently seen deadly attacks on Kenyan pastoralists, fishermen and traders in Lotiira and Lopeimukat villages along Lake Turkana.
CS Murkomen said verifying the exact number of people killed in the February attack remains difficult because many victims were attacked while in the lake, complicating recovery of bodies.
"In the absence of recovered bodies, it is hard to confirm exact figures. Some reports suggest those listed as missing may be alive in Ethiopia," he said.
He added that the victims were not just residents of Todonyang but also individuals from other towns and villages.
To strengthen border security, Mr Murkomen announced the deployment of a multi-agency team including KDF officers at key border points with Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
"Currently, only police and citizens guard porous borders like Todonyang. A joint approach is necessary," said CS Murkomen.
He said that KDF will enhance border security, working alongside trained and better-equipped National Police Reservists (NPRs) who will soon benefit from a new policy addressing their welfare and accountability through respective police stations.
He also cited unclear internal and international boundaries with West Pokot and Baringo counties and neighbouring countries as a key driver of ongoing conflicts.
"The Todonyang boundary issue is beyond this ministry. We are working with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence to find a lasting solution," he stated.
He acknowledged that porous borders were contributing to drug trafficking and illegal migration from Ethiopia.
Mr Murkomen noted the success of the ongoing Operation Maliza Uhalifu, which has restored peace along the Turkana-West Pokot border, particularly on the Lodwar–Kapenguria road where there have been no bandit attacks in the past nine months.
He added that the government will review the curfew in the area and increase the number of NPRs as needed. Plans are underway to operationalize new administrative units, flush out bandits hiding in South Turkana National Reserve and reconstruct four vandalised schools in Turkana South and East sub-counties.
Security officers raised concerns over the vast size of Turkana County, 77,000 square kilometers being policed by only 681 officers and 18 police stations.
Turkana South Sub-County Police Commander William Adenyo highlighted logistical challenges including a lack of operational vehicles since four were torched in the February 2023 KWS-area ambush, where four officers were killed and seven injured.
"Those vehicles were never replaced. We appeal to the Interior Ministry to equip all stations adequately, provide allowances, establish clear boundaries, and construct motorable security roads," Mr Adenyo said.
Residents called for compensation for innocent victims of bandit attacks and urged the government to improve mobile network coverage, citing delayed emergency response and increased vulnerability of communities and police reservists.
The last official update on the Todonyang attacks was given on March 7, 2025, when Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan reported 66 survivors rescued and 38 still missing. Since then, only three bodies have been recovered.
