60 armed morans on Friday overpowered police reservists and made away with hordes of livestock from Mugie Ranch in Laikipia County.
During the melee, one police reservist was shot in the arm injuring him while another was grazed by a bullet on the head.
The police reservists who had been deployed to provide security to the Mugie Ranch seemed to have been ambushed by the group which appeared to have meticulously planned the attack for a while.
Reports indicate that the group later retreated to Kirisia Forest in Samburu County and later divided itself into smaller groups to avoid drawing attention and escape the attention of the authorities.
However, the police reservists were able to recover 73 animals with 193 still missing.
Evan Tomlinson the Managing director of Mugie Ranch seized the opportunity to request the help of Samburu leaders to recover the stolen animals.
“A week ago CS Kindiki was in Laikipia where he held a security meeting and said that banditry was a thing of the past.’’
Banditry is a menace that has been on the rise despite being outlawed. To highlight the seriousness of the matter, President William Ruto has in the past ordered a disarmament program in areas where the crime is prevalent.
"I have ordered the Minister of Internal Security and the Minister of Defence, to ensure that in all the affected areas, everyone with a gun that was not issued to them by the government, must surrender it by tomorrow.
"We are moving into that area and we will not leave until every illegal gun is returned and every child has gone back to school. We cannot continue to lose our security officers at the hands of a few bandits," the Head of state ordered.
CS Kindiki has been at the forefront of taking the war to the bandits' doorstep after citing their activities as a threat to national security.
Nonetheless, CS Kindiki in December 2023 revealed that banditry in the North Rift region had been contained by a margin of 70 per cent which he stated was notable progress that will allow economic activities to resume in the troubled region.
“Building on the lessons so far, the Government aims at eradicating the menace of banditry and destroying its political, cultural, and commercial networks. 2024 is a decisive year,” CS Kindiki stated at the time.
