Police officer injured after armed bandits raid homesteads

 

A police officer was on Tuesday injured after armed bandits raided several homesteads in Turkana East Sub-county and drove away an unknown number of livestock.

Police Commander Edwin Ogwari said they acted following an alert from the villagers.

"The bandits had laid an ambush in between the hills. During the exchange of fire between police officers and bandits, one of the officers was injured on the left leg. Three vehicles and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) were also damaged by the bandits," Ogwari said.

The police boss also said the officers managed to recover some of the livestock.

Lokori-Kochodin Ward Administrator Samuel Chamale said that the bandits were heavily armed.

He called on the local administration from the neighbouring Pokot community to embrace peaceful coexistence after the state successfully conducted a disarmament exercise in the sub-county.

“It is time now that leaders from both communities become ambassadors of peace,” he said.

Area residents said that the bandits have been having an easy time stealing their livestock because they had been disarmed.

In April, Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok hosted his West Pokot counterpart John Lonyangapuo where the two leaders vowed to step up peace building initiatives along the border.   BY  DAILY NATION