It was a lucky escape for Isiolo court staff including Senior Resident Magistrate Edward Tsimonjero who on the evening of Wednesday, November 23, dodged bandits' bullets along Losesia-Kom-Merti road.
The judicial officers were on their way to Merti from Isiolo town when they were ambushed by the attackers at Daraja ya Mungu in Samburu East at around 3 pm.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding confirmed that no one was injured during the daring attack on government officials.
The officers who were attacked included a magistrate, a court clerk, prosecutor, an advocate and two law students.
Two police officers had accompanied the judicial officers for a mobile court session.
Commissioner Omoding confirmed that the cops fired back at the attackers before they vanished towards Samburu side.
“The driver drove on a flat tyre to a safer area where they changed it,” Omoding confirmed, adding that the General Service Unit officers at Losesia later escorted the team.
At the time of attack, the team was traveling in a government vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser.
It was reported that the armed bandits flagged down the vehicle and demanded food and water from the occupants.
However, the team gave the bandits nothing as they did not have what was demanded from them.
The bandits then ordered the officers to get out of their car, spreading fear among them and prompting the driver to take off.
What followed was a barrage of gunfire that was fired at one of the rear tyres.
The driver then drove for about two kilometres with the deflated tyres before stopping to change them.
Commissioner Omoding assured that patrols will be intensified along the route to ensure safety of motorists.
“We are keen on deployment of more police officers to troubled areas as well as establishing camps for special police units to deal with insecurity menace,” he affirmed.
Banditry activities have considerably increased over the last few months, especially around Eastern and Northern parts of the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki was on Tuesday, November 22, forced to momentarily stop his speech when bandits shot in the air while he was visiting volatile Ngomeni area in Kitui County.
