Suspected armed bandits have raided several manyattas in Ngiro 1 area of Marsabit County, making away with more than 600 goats and sheep.
The raid occurred at around 5:30am on Thursday in Line “P” area of Loiyangalani Sub-County, according to a police report received at Sarima Operations Camp.
Police said one man was also reported to have died from gunshot injuries during the raid.
Following the incident, officers a team of police and National Police Reserve police launched a pursuit of the suspected bandits.
The security team proceeded towards Lonjorin, where they linked up with ASTU and NPR officers from Samburu North in an effort to recover the stolen livestock.
However, the operation was hampered by roadblocks created using trees along the route towards the Lonjorin and Tum border.
An ASTU armoured vehicle managed to access the area but came under heavy gunfire as the suspected bandits drove the stolen livestock towards Tum and Parkati areas of Samburu North.
The area remains difficult to access, with security officers continuing efforts to pursue the suspects and recover the stolen animals.
The incident has heightened security concerns along the Marsabit-Samburu border, an area that has previously experienced incidents of livestock raids and armed conflict.
This is the latest such an attack amid ongoing operations targeting banditry.
The area is among those under Operation Maliza Uhalifu aimed at dealing with bandits.
The operation has managed to contain crime in the area and other counties amid persistence.
The operation targets Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru and Isiolo counties.
Besides retributive reaction, strategic investment and sustainable development have also taken a prominent place among the government’s planned crime control interventions for Kenya’s Northern frontier and the Kerio Valley belt.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the long-term vision is to empower the communities to actively take part in the war against animal rustling and undertake legitimate nation-building activities.
He said plans to distribute subsidized agricultural inputs and extension services to area residents in a bid to revive farming activities as a source of livelihood.
Murkomen ordered fresh vetting for all National Police Reservists (NPRs) as part of efforts to bolster the operations.
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