A few hours after President William Ruto asked the Interior Ministry to continue combating banditry in North Rift, police officers eliminated 3 hardcore criminals who had been terrorising locals in Turkana County.
According to a statement from the National Police Service (NPS) released on Sunday, March 31, one of the criminals shot on Saturday was the mastermind of a majority of attacks in the North Rift.
The second criminal was being chased over a homicide case involving a police officer while the third one was identified as a close associate of the two.
“A shootout between NPS Officers from Loima and suspected bandits at Kangalita in Kalemnyang left 3 of the suspects fatally wounded,” the statement read in part.
NPS identified one of the bandits as a gang leader who had three pending court cases of robbery with violence, sexual assault and threatening to kill.
“He has also been under investigation for a series of unresolved violent crimes, including highway robberies stock-theft and possession of illicit firearms for hire within Loima Sub-County,” it was revealed.
The second bandit was revealed to have been a close associate and aide to the gang leader.
Reports indicate that he was nicknamed Sharpshooter and has been on the run after the killing of a police officer at Kangalita three years ago.
Additionally, he is believed to have ambushed an OCS stationed at Lorugum on December 28, 2023, causing bodily harm.
The third bandit was identified as a 21-year-old and an accomplice of the two.
NPS revealed that an AK47 rifle with a magazine loaded with 3 rounds of ammunition alongside spent cartridges was recovered at the scene.
During a meeting with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and police chiefs, President Ruto stated that incidents of cattle rustling and banditry would be handled differently as the government changes tact to deal with the banditry menace that has plagued the North Rift region for years.
