Isiolo, Kenya: Four more people including two Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) have been killed and two others wounded at Gotu location in Isiolo County.
The raiders also stole four government G3 rifles from the police reservists.
A herdsman, only identified as Abkula, was gunned down on Monday at around 11 am at Gotu area by raiders from the neighbouring Samburu East District where about 300 herds of cattle were stolen.
Thereafter, villagers, with the help of KPR and game scouts from the Nakurpat and Gotu Community Wildlife Conservancy, pursued the attackers.
''The vehicles from the Conservancy spotted the attackers near Chafa Gate spring and a gun battle between the bandits and KPR ensued,'' said the organisation's manager Hassan Godana.
Chafa Gate is the farthest entry point from the northern side of Shaba National Reserve. The community managed wildlife conservancy under the Northern Rangeland Trust, also borders the County government-managed game park.
The home guards engaged the raiders estimated at about 100 in a battle that lasted until about 4 am Tuesday.
''The two home guards and the game scout were killed while trying to recover the animals from the rustlers. Their colleagues retreated after running out of bullets,'' said Guyo Wako, a village elder from Gotu.
The KPR, however, managed to recover most of the stolen animals.
Isiolo County Police Commander Nelson Okionga said four people, including two home guards were gunned down in the incident and two other herders sustained gunshot wounds.
The injured are undergoing treatment at Isiolo Level Four Hospital.
The incident comes nine days after 10 herders were shot dead and four others seriously wounded at Leruko within the Buffalo Springs National Reserve.
Yesterday, at an emotional burial ceremony at Masjid Taqwa Muslim cemetery, local leaders led by Governor Godana Doyo and Isiolo North MP Joseph Samal, called on the National government to reign in bandits from the neighbouring Samburu County.
Doyo condemned the killing accusing the bandits of unleashing terror on Isiolo by restocking and killing innocent people.
" We are not going to condone this, we are giving these bandits an ultimatum to either stop this evil activities or face full force of the law," said the Governor.
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He said its unfortunate that some communities have continued to embrace outdated and barbaric practice of cattle rustling that has been
The Governor called on the Government to immediately withdraw thousands of Kenya Police reservists firearms in the hands of Samburu Morans which were used to cause terror in the region
He said Cabinet secretary Ole lenku must take responsibility for this because little has been done to provide protection for the communities and their properties. The Governor called on the government to carryout a mop exercise to disarm Samburu East in Samburu County to ensure that this clashes might not escalate.
He urged the communities to embrace peace and dialogue while the government struggles to come up with a lasting solution to end the menace.
Samal accused the National government of failing to conduct an operation to flush out Samburu bandits out of Isiolo County.
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