Laikipia, September 21

Police in Laikipia County are investigating an incident where armed bandits raided a police patrol base and made away with a gun, ammunition and police uniforms.

In a report at entered at the Kimanjo Police Station in Laikipia North on September 20, a group of four men armed with AK47 rifles are said to have walked into Ewaso Police Patrol Base at midday where they ordered the officer manning the desk to surrender his rifle to them.

"On 20th September 2021 at about 1200hrs a group of four men all armed with AK47 rifles went to Ewaso police patrol base under kimanjo police station within Laikipia North Sub County," the police report read.

The base is adjacent to Ewaso Trading Center which is borders Isiolo North Sub County.

The police report details that the armed bandits found Police Constable Elisho Okoth Wasonga manning the report office and ordered him to hand them his gun.

"The armed bandits found PC Elisho Okoth Wasonga in the report office. They ordered him to hand over his firearm which he had or they shoot him."

In compliance, the officer handed them a G3 rifle and two magazines with 40 rounds of ammunitions.

Police further report the bandits broke into PC Okoth's house and made away with police accessories.

"As they were leaving the post, they broke into his house and took away his police uniforms, two jungle trousers, one jungle shirt, one smoke jacket, and one green jungle hat."

However, no single bullet was fired during the incident.

"The four bandits crossed to the Ol Donyiro side of the boundary towards Ewaso River direction," added the police report.

A combined team of the General Service Unit (GSU) and Regular Police have been deployed in the area to track the bandits.

The team is using police dogs and an aircraft to comb the expansive area.

Laikipia County has been in the news recently with banditry attacks being reported in the area. Thousands of people have been displaced and their houses torched as conflicts between herders and private ranchers escalated.

The conflict led to the government through the Ministry of Interior to impose a dusk to dawn curfew and create a new sub county to help in restoring calm.