The Governor of Turkana, Jeremiah Lomorukai has urged the Kenyan government to arrest bandits escaping the security operation following the killings of security officers.
Lomorukai’s remarks come after a bandit attack that left 11 people including police officers, dead at Namariat, near Kakiteitei Village, in Turkana East Sub County.
The area chief and two villagers were also shot dead during the incident.
The victims were ambushed as they pursued a gang of heavily armed bandits suspected to be from the neighboring Baringo County.
The National Police Service has since launched a multi-agency operation in the area.
NPS Spokesperson Bruno Shioso in a statement said the operation is aimed at apprehending culprits, recovering the stolen animals and firearms, and restoring normalcy in the area.
“There is a need for national security agencies to move with speed to apprehend bandits responsible for last month’s attack in Turkana East that left 11 people dead, including eight police officers,” he said.
Lomorukai spoke on Sunday at Lotiman village in Lokori/Kochodin Ward, Turkana East during the distribution of relief food to communities suffering from effects of drought.
Lomorukai raised alarm over reports that the bandits were looking to escape the ongoing multi-agency operations.
He said according to the sources, the bandits are fleeing to neighbouring countries and remote areas to avoid the wrath of security agencies.
Lomorukai has called for heightened vigilance from the security agencies as bandits with sophisticated weapons had been spotted in Kainuk heading to the border.
According to the Turkana County administration, more than 600,000 people are in dire need of food as drought continues to bite.
“The food distributed today is part of the 316 tones of assorted food procured by the County Government for Turkana East Sub-County as a disaster intervention measures meant to support the food insecure households and victims of banditry,” he said.
Lomorukai has called out politicians infamous for inciting attacks and had recently shifted allegiance to support the government as an attempt to escape prosecution for their actions.
He vowed that the Turkana leadership will not sit back and watch as the bandits terrorise residents of Turkana.
“We are very ready to help President William Ruto to ensure that all the borders of Turkana County and other counties are protected. Our people are disarmed and have to be protected,” he said.
The County boss was on his development tour in Turkana South and Turkana East where he addressed residents on his nine point agenda and promised to address the challenges facing them.
The priorities include water as a universal right, food security, health, peace building and conflict resolution, among others.
Turkana East MP Nicholas Ng’ikor assured residents that Turkana leadership was focused in pursuit of unity of purpose and echoed the Governor’s call for security along troubled borders.
Turkana South MP Ariko Namoit urged residents to report to the police accomplices of banditry from Turkana County who had made cattle rustling their commercial enterprise.
