Police recover livestock after violent attack
By Ascah Mwango, July 26, 202522 head of cattle and 18 goats believed to have been stolen during an attack at a livestock market near Sarmach Junction in Kainuk, Turkana were recovered by a multi-agency security patrol team on Friday, July 25, 2025.
According to a statement by the National Police Service (NPS) released on Saturday, July 26, 2025, the recovered livestock were moved to the GSU Lami Nyeusi camp, where rightful owners identified and reclaimed their animals under the supervision of National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO).
The recovery came shortly after a group of unidentified assailants launched a violent attack on the market, located close to the Turkwel River Bridge. Armed with crude weapons and stones, the attackers caused panic and chaos, forcing traders to flee for their safety.
“On 25 July 2025, a group of unidentified assailants violently attacked traders at a livestock market near Sarmach Junction, close to the Turkwel River Bridge in Kainuk, using crude weapons and stones. The attack forced the traders to flee for their safety. In response, a multi-agency patrol team swiftly arrived at the scene and recovered 22 head of cattle and 18 goats, which are believed to have been stolen during the incident,” the statement read in part.
Dozens of livestock were reportedly driven away during the incident, which disrupted business at the normally busy market.
NPS noted that the multi-agency team remains on the ground, actively pursuing the remaining stolen livestock and tracking down those responsible for the attack.
“The recovered livestock were moved to the GSU Lami Nyeusi camp, where rightful owners identified and reclaimed their animals under the supervision of National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO),” the statement read further.
The Turkwel River belt, straddling Turkana and West Pokot counties, has long struggled with cattle rustling and inter-community conflicts, which often escalate into violence. Security agencies say the latest incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by organised livestock theft syndicates.
Local leaders have called for enhanced surveillance, better protection of markets, and long-term solutions to the recurring insecurity in the area.
“The multi-agency team remains deployed in the area, continuing efforts to locate the remaining stolen livestock and apprehend the perpetrators. National Police Service reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with security partners to combat livestock theft and other criminal activities in the region,” NPS stated.
Rehabilitation of bandits
Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has intensified the government’s campaign against banditry, announcing a new strategy focused on dialogue and rehabilitation for armed criminals in the North Rift region.
While addressing the press at the Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner’s office in Iten on Friday, July 25, 2025, Murkomen revealed that the government is open to negotiating with bandits who agree to surrender their weapons and abandon their criminal activities.
He announced a plan to offer scholarships and job opportunities in the Affordable Housing Programme to those who choose to reform.
“If you own an illegal firearm, we are allowing you the shortest time possible to present it to police officers,” Murkomen said.
Adding;
“Some of these people are of school-going age. Instead of engaging in crime, we will give them scholarships to get skills that they can use to take care of their lives.”
According to the CS, the government will enrol reformed individuals in technical training institutions, after which they will be absorbed into construction projects under the housing programme.