Murkomen orders security operation after killing of six people in Kainuk

CS for Interior Kipchumba Murkomen with security officers when he visited Turkana south on February 2, 2026

Tension remains high in parts of Turkana county amid heightened security following the killing of sixpeople in bandit attacks

Interior Cabinet Secretary KipchumbaMurkomen has ordered a comprehensive security operation in the area following the attacks.

The killings occurred near Kainuk, a notorious banditry hotspot along the border of Turkana and WestPokot counties. The violence has disrupted transport along the Lodwar–Kitaleroad, with motorists avoiding the route over fears of ambushes.

Security teams have since been deployed across the area, including along major roads and villages deemed vulnerable to attacks.

Murkomen, who toured the region to assess the situation, issued a stern warning to bandits and their alleged sponsors, saying those responsible for the killings will “regret their actions.”

“If they are in doubt, let them visit other parts of the Kerio Valley where we have carried out disarmament. They can learn from those areas,” Murkomen said.

He said politicians found to be abetting banditry would also face action.

The CS said the government had made significant progress in restoring peace and normalcy in large parts of the Kerio Valley but acknowledged that pockets of insecurity remained.

“There are areas where we need to do more to eradicate banditry and weed out criminal elements trying to take us back,” Murkomen said, adding that the Kainuk operation would involve disarmament, arrest of perpetrators, and pursuit of their sponsors.

At least fourpeoplewereshotdeadonJanuary31 in an attack in the ArooareaofKainuk. Those killed were three herders and a road user.

The victims were shot at close range in Kakongvillage. There are reports that two other people had earlier been killed in the same area.

Police records show that atleastninepeople have been killed by bandits in Kainuk in the last one month. One of the victims was a driver travelling from Lodwar to Kitale who was caught in a gunfight after bandits raided a village and drove away 500 goats.

Security officers and local police reservists responded, forcing the gunmen to abandon the livestock and flee. The bodies of those killed were taken to the mortuary, while the vehicle was impounded pending investigations.

More than2,000 livestock have been stolen in the area over the past two weeks, police said. Additional personnel have since been deployed amid fears of retaliatory attacks.

The area falls under Operation Maliza Uhalifu, which Murkomen said had helped contain crime across several counties, including Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Elgeyo Marakwet and Isiolo.

Murkomen urged residents to cooperate with security agencies and surrender illegal firearms, noting that over 1,200 weapons had already been recovered in the Kerio Valley.

However, Kainuk residents led by Jamleck Loruk warned that failure by the government to guarantee security could force communities to resort to self-protection. Governors SimonKachapin (West Pokot) and Jeremiah Lomurkai (Turkana) have backed the government’s security measures.

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