Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo/HANDOUTIsiolo Governor Abdi Guyo has condemned the killing of five people, including two police officers, in a suspected bandit attack in Gotu on Wednesday.
The county boss called for urgent security intervention to stop escalating violence in the county.
The Wednesday morning ambush has renewed concerns over insecurity in the region, with residents and leaders demanding stronger action against armed groups blamed for livestock theft and attacks on communities.
The victims comprised two officers attached to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), a member of the National Police Reserve and two civilians, according to police reports.
The group was reportedly pursuing suspected livestock thieves when they were ambushed by armed attackers in Gotu. Police said the assailants had fled by the time responding officers arrived at the scene.
Reports from the area indicated that the victims were part of a team searching for the body of an elderly man allegedly killed by suspected bandits at Madho Gurba Huka, a grazing area in Chari Ward, on Tuesday.
Guyo described the killings as unacceptable and warned that continued attacks were undermining peace and livelihoods in the county.
“I strongly condemn the latest bandit attack in the Gotu area that has claimed the lives of five people, including two police officers. It is deeply saddening and unacceptable that our people and security officers continue to lose their lives to armed banditry,” the governor said.
He said the repeated attacks were creating fear among residents, disrupting economic activities and threatening the stability of communities.
Guyo called on Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and national security agencies to intensify operations in Gotu and neighbouring areas.
“I urge the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen and the national security agencies to urgently strengthen security operations in Gotu and the surrounding areas, enhance patrols and intelligence gathering and take decisive action against those responsible,” he said.
The governor said residents had a right to conduct their daily activities without fear and urged authorities to act before the situation deteriorates further.
“The people of Isiolo deserve to live and work in peace and security,” Guyo said.
He also sent condolences to the families of those killed and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
“We must act urgently and decisively to prevent further loss of innocent lives,” he added.
Eastern Regional Police Commander Stephen Chebet led a security team to Gotu following the attack, amid demands from residents for immediate action against the perpetrators.
The incident comes amid a string of banditry attacks in Isiolo and neighbouring counties.
Last week, a police constable was shot when an ASTU patrol team was ambushed in Kakili, Burat Ward, while two people were killed in a suspected bandit attack along the Meru-Isiolo border in August.
The latest killings are likely to intensify pressure on the national government to demonstrate the impact of security operations targeting banditry and illegal firearms in the region.
