20 police officers feared dead in attack by bandits

Residents of Chesitet in Baringo County, during a meeting with Tiaty MP Asman Kamama and West Pokot senator John Lonyangapuo on October 31, 2014. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NMG 

By The Citizen Correspondent

In Summary

• It is feared that the bandits shot and killed all the 20 officers and reservists who were ambushed betwen Kapedo and Lokori areas

Nairobi. Eight officers were killed and another 12 went missing and are feared dead after they were ambushed by bandits in Turkana County at the crack of dawn on Saturday. Two civilians were also killed, police said in a statement.

It is feared that the bandits shot and killed all the 20 officers and reservists who were ambushed betwen Kapedo and Lokori areas as they recovered a burnt GSU vehicle that was used in a botched operation last week.

After attacks in the last few weeks, President Uhuru Kenyatta warned that those involved would face the full force of the law. A statement signed by Administration Police spokesman Masoud Mwinyi read in part: “Reinforcement has been sent in the area under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, who is accompanied by Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government Joseph Ole Lenku.”

This is one of the worst killings of law enforcers in a single incident after the November 2012 massacre of 42 police officers in Baragoi.

On Saturday, police scrambled helicopters to track the attackers, who were believed to still be hiding in the area.

Police said they had had recovered eight bodies while 12 officers were still missing and presumed dead. Sources say some of the dead civilians were staff of a motor dealer who had accompanied the police.

Those who spoke to Mr Kimaiyo on Saturday evening said he was numbed by the audacious attack on police officers in an area that has been under siege by suspected Pokot bandits for the last few weeks.

The team on a rescue mission had Regular and Administration Police officers and Kenya Police Reservists. An officer based at a GSU camp in Kapedo told the Sunday Nation that the officers had been deployed to flush out the bandits who attacked police and burnt a vehicle ferrying examination papers two weeks ago. (NMG)