Two General Service Unit officers were shot dead during a fire exchange with bandits at the troubled Laikipia Nature Conservancy in Laikipia County.
The incident happened during a security operation in the region where bandits ambushed the officers and a gunfight ensued.
Reports indicated that the officers were waylaid by the bandits a short distance from the Kamwenje police base in Laikipia West.
A third police officer was left with gunshot wounds and he is currently under treatment.
Barely a fortnight ago bandits killed three police officers and left two other people nursing serious injuries amid the security operations in the county.
Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Fred Ochieng’ stated that the officers were on normal patrol when they encountered the bandits who opened fire.
“We lost three officers on Wednesday morning after they were ambushed by bandits. Two other officers sustained injuries after a fire exchange before the bandits vanished,” Ochieng’ told the press.
A national police reservist and 11 civilians lost their lives in the last two months. Officers attached to the area under the multi-agency team continue to flush out the bandits in a bid to restore normalcy.
"The conservancy remains an active multi-agency operation zone, and the public are requested to remain calm," read a statement by the National Police Service.
Interior CS Fred Matiang'i constituted a multi-agency team that includes officers from the National Police Service (NPS), border patrol units and Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), in a bid to foster peace in the area.
On October 13, 2021, the CS noted with grave concern that bandits had continued to reign terror on residents despite efforts to enforce peace.
The government disclosed that bandits had devised new ways to commit criminal invasions such as disguising themselves as herders.
Matiang'i revealed that the government had started training a special security unit, which pitched camp in the troubled Laikipia area to flush out the brigands.
