Fear and tension after suspected revenge attack leaves three herders dead in Kitui

Security agencies have launched investigations into a suspected retaliatory attack in Kitui County that left three herders dead.

Police said the incident is linked to an earlier killing on March 29, 2026, in which a 44-year-old man was found dead with a slit throat within a reserve.

The killing heightened tensions among local communities, with some residents expressing suspicions that those responsible may have come from outside the area.

Authorities say that in what is believed to be a retaliatory act, a group of herders reportedly set up an ambush at a watering point known as Itimba and killed three men the following day. Although police visited the scene, no bodies were recovered.

Further investigations later indicated that the bodies of three men believed to have died in the attack were collected by members of their community and transported to Boka in Tana River County, where they are thought to have been buried.

Local administration officials in Tana River confirmed the deaths and identified the victims as Musa Abdirahaman Omar (40), Mohammed Aden Ahmed (40), and Abdi Dakane (60).

The incidents have raised fears of further retaliation, police said. Security operations have since been intensified in the area, with patrols increased to protect herders and prevent additional attacks.

Police said investigations into both the initial death and the subsequent killings are ongoing.

Such incidents have been reported in the area and are linked to disputes over pasture.

Meanwhile, a 41-year-old woman died following a late-night incident at a bar in Kimilili Sub-County, Bungoma County, in a case under investigation.

The incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on March 30, 2026, at Bernard Bar in Kikwechi Village, Kamusinde Location.

The deceased, identified as Linet Omonya, was an employee at the establishment. Police said her former boyfriend is reported to have entered the bar and engaged her in an argument before the situation escalated.

It is reported that the man picked up a kitchen knife during the confrontation and stabbed the woman on the left side of the chest, leading to her death at the scene.

Police who responded to the incident found Omonya’s body lying on a couch with a stab wound. The body was moved to Sante Funeral Home, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination.

The man has since been taken into custody and is being held pending further legal processes.

Police have launched further investigations into the incident.