Governor malombe had made a push to ensure security of his people by initiating the construction of police station along the volatile Kitui-Tana river border.

Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Eliud Lagat has announced the upgrade of Kwa Kamari police station in Kitui to a fully fledged station.

The station had been operating as a post with few officers.

Lagat flew to the area in the company of General Service Unit Commandant Ranson Lolmodoni and assured members of the public of security.

He added that all schools in the area would be provided with security as they prepare to reopen for the second term.

He also ordered officers to remain alert to avert any future attacks, expedite investigations into the killings and bring the perpetrators to book.

He said more officers will be posted to both Kwa Kamari and Mashungwa police stations to boost security in the area.

“We will make sure those behind the attack are held responsible,” he told residents.

Kitui Governor Julius Malombe had pushed for armed security personnel at Kwa Kamari village in Tseikuru, Mwingi North to be deployed.

In the latest incident, seven villagers were shot dead in an attack on April 25. The attackers razed three shops, a petrol station and a motorcycle.

Following the daylight attack on Saturday, residents of Kwa Kamari and surrounding areas fled their homes, fearing further violence.

Police spokesman Michael Muchiri linked the violence to an escalating cycle of revenge attacks involving members of the Kamba and Somali communities.

According to the National Police Service, the violence began on March 29, 2026, when a 44-year-old Kamba herdsman was killed near Mwingi Game Reserve.

The following day, March 30, a suspected retaliatory attack left four members of the Somali community dead.

The latest and deadliest incident occurred on April 25 in the Kwa Kamari area, where seven people—believed to be from the Kamba community—were killed.

About a year ago, the Kitui County Government constructed a modern police station at Kwa Kamari to help curb recurring inter-communal clashes between local Kamba residents and camel-herding pastoralists.

However, the facility remained unused, locked and unoccupied.

The station is one of eight built under a partnership between the county government and the National Police Service along the volatile Kitui–Tana River border.

The initiative received backing from President William Ruto during his visit to Kitui on October 23, 2022, shortly after taking office.

He pledged that the stations would be staffed with adequately equipped officers to tackle insecurity.

While the county fulfilled its part by financing and completing the Kwa Kamari facility—located just outside the Mwingi National Game Reserve—the national government is yet to deploy personnel or resources to operationalise it.

That gap has now proved costly.

Addressing the press on Monday, Governor Malombe said the Kwa Kamari police station is fully complete, with an administration block, junior staff quarters, solar power, floodlights, a pit latrine, perimeter fencing and a gate, all ready for use.

He expressed regret that the facility had not been operationalised in time to prevent the tragedy.

“We request the national government to deploy adequate personnel and resources at Kwa Kamari and other completed police stations to enhance security presence and response,” Malombe said.

He urged security agencies to act with urgency, professionalism and accountability in addressing persistent insecurity along the Kitui–Tana River border.

“Going forward, the safety and security of our people must be assured and should never be compromised,” he added.

The governor described the killings as senseless and unacceptable, extending condolences to the bereaved families.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families and relatives of the seven innocent lives that were brutally lost. No reason can justify such violence,” he said.

Malombe also called for a coordinated security operation to flush out illegal occupants—including camel herders, charcoal burners and suspected criminals—from the Mwingi National Game Reserve, which he said had become a hideout for perpetrators.

“We urge the national government to work with county rangers to remove all intruders within the reserve,” he said.