Security in North Rift continued to be a nightmare 12 days after President William Ruto ordered a joint security exercise involving Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and National Police Service (NPS).
This was after bandits engaged security agents in a fierce gunfight throughout Friday, February 24, night and Saturday daytime in Samburu County.
During the close to the 24-hour shootout, three KDF soldiers were seriously injured and another 3 NPR officers lost their lives.
The attacks came despite the joint operation getting help from the United States Government in flushing out bandits in North Rift.
The US government is helping Kenyans with satellite images that can pinpoint the exact locations of bandits in Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
The daring bandits ambushed security agents in the same spot twice in the Lkeek Sabuk area in Samburu West.
In the first instance, the defiant bandits engaged KDF soldiers in a gunfight that saw three soldiers seriously injured and airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
KDF soldiers responded in kind and bombed out the bandits’ hideout leaving an unknown number dead.
Despite the spirited fight mounted by KDF soldiers, the bandits raided five villages and drove away with hundreds of livestock.
Porra Senior Chief Longer Letoluai accompanied by National Police Reservists trailed the bandits with the hope of recovering the stolen herd.
They were attacked again by the bandits who shot dead Letoluai and two police reservists.
Residents begged the government to increase security in the region claiming they were helpless.
Christopher Lalkailepi bemoaned that security agents had taken away their guns leaving them vulnerable to attacks from the bandits.
“We have no weapons to defend ourselves. Now everyone is being killed even security officers. We beg the government to protect us as they had promised,” he lamented.
The government has already recovered 39 illegal firearms and arrested more than 124 people in the joint operation.
