Police officers were forced to deploy off-the-book tactics to quell an attack launched on their convoy by 50 armed gunmen along the Ndonyo Wasin - Sereolipi Road in Samburu county.
In a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Sunday, July 17, the agency stated that the bandits flagged down a truck ferrying cattle with an intention of stealing the animals.
Just as they were about to commandeer the truck, the police escort vehicle arrived at the scene, promoting the gunmen to turn to the officers and open fire.
"Immediately the raiders opened fire to stop the convoy, the officers jumped from their vehicle and took their positions and responded to the provocation," the DCI stated.
The gunmen were relentless, continuously firing at the officers using their AK-47 rifles, prompting the contingent's commander Inspector Mwangale, to implore the service of a gunner.
"The gunner was in possession of a general purpose machine gun and sufficient ammunition. He unleashed an avalanche of fire, flattening the area," the investigating agency stated.
Overpowered by the sophisticated artillery, the bandits fled the scene in fear of their lives - with a number sustaining gunshot wounds.
All officers in the convoy, the driver and turnboys in the trucks escaped unharmed. Notably, the cattle being ferried also survived the attack.
Police officers recovered the weapons abandoned by the fleeing bandits. They have since launched an operation to track down the assailants.
Armed banditry attacks have continued to rock counties in parts of Rift Valley and the Northern Frontier District (NFD). On June 8, Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in neighbouring Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties following rampant killings by bandits.
While government continues to deploy police officers to deal with the menace, it has also called for locals in the community to voluntarily surrender their weapons.
The state has further reiterated its call for leaders in the affected regions to call for peaceful co-existence between warring communities.
