Banditry-related attacks in Kenya claim 21 lives in three months

Over 20 people, including police officers, civilians and suspected bandits, have been killed in banditry-related attacks between January and March this year, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has revealed.

According to Murkomen, this marks a significant decrease from the 58 deaths reported during the same period in 2024.

He noted that the 21 fatalities recorded in the first quarter of 2025 include a police officer, eight civilians and 12 suspected bandits.

“These significant gains are attributed to the concerted efforts of our security officers, including the National Police Service, working in close collaboration,” he said on Saturday while releasing the quarterly security report.

The Interior CS also noted a drop in stock theft incidents, with 167 cases recorded in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 263 in the same period last year. Additionally, 4,935 livestock were stolen, down from 8,557 in early 2024.

However, Murkomen acknowledged that security teams continue to face persistent challenges in tackling banditry, including the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, and the commercialisation of banditry through available markets for stolen livestock. He also cited political interference, competition for resources during droughts and disputes over communal land boundaries as contributing factors.

“There is also political interference and incitement, competition for water and pasture during periods of drought and fights over communal land boundaries,” Murkomen said, adding that the lack of infrastructure and poor mobile network coverage in some areas make it difficult to access and apprehend criminals.

In response, Murkomen assured the public that the government is working on improving infrastructure and equipping security officers with better resources to address these challenges.

“I urge Kenyans to collaborate with our security officers as we strive to secure our country. Let us shun all acts of political incitement and revenge. I urge political leaders to stop playing politics with such important national security concerns,” he said.

Murkomen also emphasised that the government remains committed to maintaining the security gains made in the first quarter and will continue efforts to ensure the safety of citizens for the remainder of the year.

His remarks come after some politicians from Baringo County raised concerns over a resurgence in crime, particularly banditry, in the region.

Latest banditry attack

On the same day, a police reservist was shot dead and four others seriously injured in a fresh bandit attack in Chemoe village, Baringo North. The attack occurred just hours after Murkomen had visited the region to attend a security meeting.

According to Baringo North Sub-County Police Commander Mohammed Abdi, the attack occurred at around 2:00 pm when an unknown number of armed bandits ambushed herders in the village and stole an undisclosed number of livestock belonging to a local resident.

Other Topics To Read

• Northern Kenya
• Banditry attacks
• banditry baringo
• banditry kenya
• north rift banditry
• banditry and cattle rustling
• Banditry-related attacks in Kenya claim 21 lives in three months
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“Bandits suspected to be from the neighbouring community attacked Chemoe village at around 2:00 pm and made away with an unconfirmed number of livestock belonging to one of the locals. A police reservist who was among a group that responded has been killed, and four other people have been injured. Multi-agency teams are engaging the bandits,” Mohammed said.

The slain reservist, Evans Kamworor, was part of the security response team when the attack occurred. The incident has raised further concerns about the growing insecurity in the region, bringing the number of fatalities in the restive Kerio Valley to 16 since the beginning of 2025, with several others nursing gunshot wounds.

The attack took place just a few kilometres from Kampi Samaki, where Murkomen had been holding a security meeting with local officials, including Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Hassan Abdi, and security teams from Baringo.

Local leaders and residents have criticised the security forces for not providing adequate protection in the region, with some questioning the effectiveness of the government’s security strategies.

“It is very sad that locals in the restive Chemoe village were left at the mercy of armed criminals because when the attack happened, all NPRs (police reservists) had been recalled for a vetting exercise in Bartabwa, while the other security officers, including chiefs, went to attend a security meeting in Kampi Samaki,” Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap said.

The MP accused the government of being lenient towards the armed criminals wreaking havoc in the area.

“The Interior CS is claiming that locals are in possession of illegal guns, so why hasn’t he gone ahead to seize them? Why has he not arrested the suspected criminals killing locals in this region? This means he has failed in taming the runaway insecurity in the North Rift,” Makilap said.

Saimo Soi MCA Michael Chebon also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s security deployments.

“If an attack is being staged a few kilometres from where the Interior CS was having a security meeting, then how safe are we as locals? We have complained over the years for the state to seize illegal guns in the hands of civilians, and we are wondering why the government is not doing that. They are so lenient towards the armed criminals wreaking havoc,” Chebon said.

This is not the first such incident in Baringo North. In March 2024, a herder was shot dead in Ng’aratuko Primary School, barely 20km from the border of Baringo North and Tiaty Sub-Counties, where then-Interior CS Kithure Kindiki was meeting with the regional security team.

In 2017, Ng’orora location Chief Thomas Chebor Ruttok was also killed by armed bandits just five kilometres from Sibilo, where the then Deputy President William Ruto was leading a peace meeting.

The recurrence of such attacks has raised alarm among local leaders and residents about the failure of security agencies to address the growing threat of banditry in the region.