15 cows recovered, loaded firearm confiscated in Samburu East operation
Three mobile phones were also recovered from the crime scene and will be analyzed to help in the identification of the owners.
Security agencies in Samburu East have recovered a firearm and 23 rounds of ammunition during a security operation at Serolanga, where 18 herds of cattle stolen from Meru County were found.
Assisted by local elders, police officers were able to recover all the cows but were confronted by armed Morans while escorting the animals to a waiting police truck, prompting a gunfight where an unknown number of criminals are said to have died.
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Area Deputy County Commissioner Stanley Kimutai said three of the cows escaped during the shootout and that none of the officers were injured.
The administrator further revealed that the rounds of ammunition had originated from neighbouring Ethiopia and the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk), showing the criminals could have sourced them there or been assisted by rogue soldiers.
Three mobile phones were also recovered from the crime scene and will be analyzed to help in the identification of the owners, whom police believe were part of the gang.
"I appeal to our people to cooperate with the security team by volunteering information to help in the arrest of criminals and recovery of stolen animals," Kimutai said.
The recovered herds of cattle at Isiolo Police station where handover to the Meru security team was done. (Photo: Waweru Wairimu)
During the handover of the animals to his Mutuati counterpart Silvester Mwangulu at Isiolo Police Station, Kimutai said security agencies in Isiolo, Samburu, and Laikipia counties will continue working closely to ensure all the stolen animals from Meru and either of the three counties are recovered.
"Those in possession of stolen animals should surrender them to police so that they are handed over to the owners," he said during the handover, also attended by Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Musango.
Mwangulu appealed to pastoralist communities to shun livestock theft and engage in decent income-generating activities, saying rustling had impoverished many Kenyans.
This was as the security teams vowed to rein in collaboration between criminals in Isiolo and Samburu counties to unleash terror and ensure the free movement of the animals.
Daaba is among the areas police say could be harbouring cattle rustlers who help criminals from as far as Serolipi unleash terror on the Meru side.
"I want to commend the National Police Reservists for augmenting police efforts in ending banditry," he said while asking elders from the three counties to sustain peace efforts as insecurity was a threat to development in the region, which has been marginalized for decades.
Samburu is among the six North Rift counties under the State's Operation Maliza Uhalifu which seeks to weed out criminals from the region to accelerate development.
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