Boinnet orders Rift Valley police to end Turkana-West Pokot border clashes

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet has ordered Rift Valley police officers to bring an end to the clashes at Kainuk area on the border between West Pokot and Turkana counties.

This comes after bandits on Saturday launched an attack in the area that left at least six people dead and yet another one on Sunday where three people lost their lives..

In a statement released on Monday, I.G Boinnet directed Rift Valley Regional Police Commander (RPC) Edward Mwamburi to “use all available Police resources to stop the violence and restore order to allow members of the public to lead normal lives.”

“The RPC has further been ordered to step up investigations into the role of certain identified individuals who are suspected of inciting violence in the area, and bring them to book in accordance with the law,” added the statement.

The police boss also urged locals to cooperate with the men in blue to ensure the rustlers and bandits are weeded out for the sake of their own safety.

We wish to inform the public that in the wake of the recent spate of rustling / bandit attacks around Kainuk and its environs along the border of Turkana / West Pokot Counties, the Inspector General has ordered the Regional Police Commander, Rift Valley to use all … 1/3

— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) February 18, 2019

For the last three days, the picture at Kainuk has been of gunfire renting the air day and night as police officers exchange gunfire with bandits on the run.

Area residents have since blamed their neighbouring community for what they termed as continuous theft of their livestock.