Gunmen shot and killed a police officer in an ambush before freeing eight prisoners he and his colleagues were escorting in Marti area, Samburu County.
The gang also grabbed and escaped with constable Humphrey Oroba’s gun that had 30 bullets.
The deceased officer was among a group of police officers who were on Monday February 10 escorting a group of remandees from Maralal GK Prisons on an official car when they came under attack by gunmen.
According to police, the officers from Baragoi Police Station had picked up eight remandees from the prison and were to take them to the station ahead of planned court sessions on February 11 when they were attacked.
A mobile court was to visit the station for the sessions, officials said.
Two other police officers were escorting the suspects.
Police said on reaching at Charda area along the Maralal-Baragoi-South Horr road they came under attack.
Gunmen who were waiting opened fire and killed Oroba on the spot forcing his colleagues to seek refuge in a bush.
The body of Oroba was found at the scene with multiple bullet wounds with his AK47 rifle with 30 bullets missing.
The two officers with the eight remandees were missing, a team that responded to the scene said.
More police officers responded to the scene and staged a search before finding the missing colleagues with their firearms.
They were hiding in bushes.
The suspects were however missing.
Police said Kennedy Lekisaat, Ewoi Lonyogorot, Saul Lekisaat, Lorunyei Akware and Lopasho Ekoriana were facing defilement charges while Namulem Losam was facing charges of possession of illegal firearm.
Lokwawi Adoro was facing murder and robbery with violence charges while Golong Arii faced ssault/grevious harm charges.
Police said on Tuesday no arrest had been made on the attackers and those who escaped.
The assailants are suspected to have known the movements of the team before staging the deadly attack and freedom of the remandees.
The body of the deceased officer was moved to Baragoi Sub County Hospital Morgue pending autopsy.
More personnel have been mobilised to hunt down the gunmen, police headquarters said.
The area is among those under ongoing Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift.
The operation has led to a general decline of banditry attacks in the larger north rift and other surrounding areas in the past year.
At least 172 illegal firearms were last year recovered in ongoing Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift.
The operation has also seen a significant drop in cattle rustling cases, the Ministry of Interior said.
“The operation has led to a 62% reduction in the number of cattle rustling occurrences, with cases dropping from 63,054 stolen livestock to 23,668—a decline of 39,386 heads of cattle.”
“Notably, 172 illegal firearms were collected during mop-up exercises and 10,173 livestock have been recovered,” a statement from the Ministry of interior said.
During the same period, 250 suspects, including 14 political leaders, were arrested and prosecuted.
Launched in February 2023, Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift is a government security initiative that targeted escalating banditry, cattle rustling, and violence in nine counties including Baringo, Turkana, Samburu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Marsabit, Laikipia, Isiolo, and Meru.
Hot spot areas in these counties were designated as “Disturbed” and “Dangerous,” in the operation that brought together the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in a coordinated effort to restore peace and stability in the region.
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