A teenage herder was
shot and killed in an attack by cattle raiders in Marti area, Samburu County.
Three other herders
were shot and wounded in the Monday evening attack, police said.
The deceased was aged
17, police said.
The raiders escaped
with an unknown number of livestock after the raid, prompting an operation from
multi-agencies.
Police said the
injured were rushed to the hospital in a stable condition.
The pursuit for the
attackers continued on Wednesday amid reports they had crossed to their holding
ground.
Incidents of teenage herders are common in the region amid a campaign to address the menace and encourage them to go to school.
This is the latest
such attack in the area amid ongoing operations to address the menace of cattle
rustling. There are also fears of retaliation on the raiders, which could turn
bloody.
The area is among those under Operation Maliza Uhalifu aimed at dealing with bandits.
The operation has managed to contain crime in the area and other counties despite persistence.
The operation targets Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru and Isiolo counties.
Besides retributive reaction, strategic investment and sustainable development have also taken a prominent place among the government’s planned crime control interventions for Kenya’s Northern frontier and the Kerio Valley belt.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the long-term vision is to empower the communities to actively take part in the war against animal rustling and undertake legitimate nation-building activities.
He said plans to distribute subsidised agricultural inputs and extension services to area residents in a bid to revive farming activities as a source of livelihood.
Murkomen ordered fresh vetting for all National Police Reservists (NPRs) as part of efforts to bolster the operations.
“We are coming to dismantle not only the criminals themselves but also to bring down the entire chain that has been the cattle and livestock rustling industry,” he said.
He also announced a new policy shift, which institutionalises the command structure of the NPR officers, stating they will hence be under the direct command of the Officer Commanding Police Stations (OCS) as part of efforts to enhance their operations.
The
attacks have affected development at large. Most of the stolen animals are
driven to urban centres and in particular, where they are slaughtered and sold
as products.
The operations are bearing fruit, officials said.
