KWS officers to face legal action over killing of Issack Abdulla Jarso, CS Murkomen says
The CS was responding to a question by Garsen MP Ali Wario, who sought answers on the status of the case, the motive of the killing and what the government is doing to prevent further confrontations between KWS personnel and local herders to avoid similar tragic incidents.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has told parliament that the killing of Issack Abdulla Jarso was committed by officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), who will be facing legal action as soon as the probe into the murder is complete.
The CS was responding to a question by Garsen MP Ali Wario, who sought answers on the status of the case, the motive of the killing and what the government is doing to prevent further confrontations between KWS personnel and local herders to avoid similar tragic incidents.
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"From the overview of the incident, it is clear that one or more of the KWS officers may have been involved in the fatal shooting of Issack Abdulla Jarso. However, investigations are ongoing to identify the specific officer(s) responsible through a ballistic analysis to establish which specific firearm(s) discharged the four (4) spent cartridges recovered from the scene."
He added that once the investigation is concluded, appropriate legal action will be taken against the KWS officer(s) found culpable in the fatal shooting.
The deceased was killed on December 29 last year, at approximately 10:30 am, after a contingent of 23 Kenya Wildlife Service rangers embarked on an operation to remove cattle and herders who had allegedly settled inside Tsavo East National Park.
"During the operation, the rangers encountered Issack Abdulla Jarso, his family and friends at his manyatta. When the rangers attempted to arrest the deceased, an altercation ensued, escalating into a physical confrontation between him, his friends and the rangers. This confrontation resulted in the fatal shooting of Issack Abdulla Jarso," the CS told parliament.
Fifteen minutes later, the incident was reported at Garsen Police Station by the Sub-Chief of Kone Sub-Location, Said Omar, via 0B No. 18/29/12/2024.
In a pool of blood
Officers from the station then responded promptly and found the lifeless body of 42-year-old Issack Abdulla Jarso lying in a pool of blood in his home compound. The body had a gunshot wound on the upper right thigh.
"Investigations commenced under inquiry No. 4/2024 of DCI Delta, with officers documenting evidence at the scene and recovering four spent cartridges at the scene. The body was moved to Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary for preservation, where a post-mortem examination was conducted, confirming that the cause of death was due to gunshot-inflicted injuries," the CS said.
As part of the investigation, statements were recorded from key witnesses, including the deceased's wife, two friends who were with him at the time of the incident, and two brothers who arrived after being alerted about the shooting. Additionally, statements were taken from the KWS rangers involved in the operation.
"To facilitate forensic analysis, all twenty-three (23) rifles used by the rangers during the operation were collected and escorted to the forensic laboratory in Nairobi for ballistic examination. The ballistic expert report is not yet finalised," said the CS.
The inquiry file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions on January 15, 2025, who, on February 14, directed that several additional matters be established through further investigations, including the firearms ballistic report.
Murkomen said the matter is still under active investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and that once concluded, appropriate action will be taken against anyone found culpable of the offence.
"Every effort is being made to expedite and conclude the investigations to ensure justice is served," he said.
To avert similar incidents in future, Murkomen said the National Police Service has embraced a series of community and multiagency initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation and fostering positive relations between law enforcement agencies, local communities, and other stakeholders to prevent the escalation of conflicts and ensure sustainable peace.
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