Kenya mops out illegal firearms after 10 killed in Kapedo attacks

Atleast 10 people among them four security officers have been killed prior to an operation by the Kenyan government to mop out illegal firearms in Kapedo, Baringo County.

The Daily Nation reported on Sunday that five other police officers had also been injured in the ongoing operation in the troubled area. Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya told the Kenyan media that no arrests had made so far despite the operation entering its second week.  He said the security personnel would be left with no option but to use coercion to force those holding illegal firearms to comply with the order.

‘‘We want to use force to recover firearms used to unleash mayhem,’’ Daily Nation quoted Natembeya.

The country’s police units—General Service Unit (GSU), Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) and Anti-Stock Theft Unit—have been deployed to deal with the bandits.

Some of the casualties were identified as Superintendent Emadau Tabakol, who is a GSU commandant. He was shot dead last Sunday in an ambush that also left his driver with severe injuries. Another ambush left a security officer and his driver dead at a place called Caped Bridge. The officer was reported to be the head of RDU camp in Kapedo.

‘‘Our security teams have not been overwhelmed by the bandits. Police have changed tactics and are ready to face the bandits head-on. No other police officers will be killed by these criminals,’’ Natembeya said.

 Past attack

The Kenyan security organs have mounted campaigns to flash out the bandits while the locals are living in fear of being attacked by the criminals.  The war-tone region shot to fame for the wrong reasons when bandits ambushed and killed 22 police officers and three civilians in Turkana East in 2014. The attack happened at Kapedo border, an area where Turkana County borders Baringo County. The insecurity has been attributed to cattle rustling practiced by the youth drawn from the pastoralist communities living in the neighbouring counties.