A series of violent cattle rustling attacks over the weekend left five people dead, including one police reservist, in Isiolo County, located in northeastern Kenya. Three civilians also lost their lives, while three others sustained serious injuries when unknown assailants, suspected to be bandits, launched assaults in the Bojidare area, heavily armed with assault rifles.

The National Police Service (NPS) reported that the attackers stormed local settlements, known as manyattas, firing shots as they seized over 250 cattle and 300 goats from local herders. NPS officers, including the Kenya Police, Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), and National Police Reservists (NPR), responded quickly, managing to recover 300 goats and 30 cattle during their pursuit.

The injured individuals were transported to Isiolo District Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were released to their families for burial according to Muslim customs.

In a separate incident in the Hola Bule area, another armed group raided a home, killing one person and injuring two others, including a police reservist, before escaping with 19 cattle. Authorities recovered all the stolen animals, and the deceased was moved to the Isiolo County Hospital Morgue.

In a third rustling incident near River Waso in Samburu East, two bandits were fatally shot as law enforcement successfully retrieved 211 stolen cattle. The Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service, Gilbert Masengeli, arrived in Isiolo with the Eastern Regional Security team to assess the situation and direct operations.

Reinforcements from the Isiolo Police Station, ASTU, and NPR have been deployed, and investigations led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the violence.