Gunfire returns to Samburu as bandits reclaim roads, kill eight

After a year-long lull in gunfire following a sustained security operation in Samburu County, bandits have returned, killing at least eight people in the past three weeks.

Just a day after ushering in the New Year, armed bandits ambushed a team of Kenya Power employees at Suyan on the Maralal -Baragoi Road, riddling their vehicle with bullets.

The five workers narrowly escaped unharmed. This was the same spot where on December 13, 2024, a driver attached to the Samburu Governor survived with gunshot wounds after the governor’s official vehicle was sprayed with bullets.

On January 6, 2025, bandits fired at another county government vehicle in the Sikira area on the Maralal- Baragoi Road after the driver refused to stop. The driver, Daniel Lengala, sustained injuries to his left leg.

Narrating his ordeal to the Standard, Lengala recounted he was driving from Baragoi to Maralal in the company of the County Chief Officer for Tourism when the attack occurred.

“On reaching Sikira, we encountered bandits who opened fire on the vehicle when I refused to stop. They were six in number and fired at the vehicle as I sped off. A bullet caught me in the leg,” he said.

Escaped unhurt

Lengala received first aid at Baragoi dispensary before being referred to Samburu County Referral Hospital, where doctors removed the bullet lodged in his leg. Days later, on January 9, 2025, bandits shot and killed a man in Nkorishe area, in Samburu North, as he escorted his son to school. The boy miraculously escaped the attack unhurt.

The bandits, reportedly armed with guns and carrying jerricans full of live ammunition, have taken control of the road connecting Maralal town and Baragoi, creating fear and insecurity in the area.

They have also taken strategic positions along the roads leading to Marti, Morijo, Sikira, and Tuum.

Recently, they killed three people in Tuum, leaving one seriously injured. The injured person is receiving treatment at Baragoi Hospital. The attack in Tuum occurred barely a week after four people were killed in Marti.

The frequent attacks have forced dozens of families to flee their homes. Among the victims, Dr Richard Lesiyampe, the former Principal Secretary in the State Department of Agriculture, was forced to flee his ranch.

Dr Lesiyampe survived an attack when a vehicle he regularly uses was sprayed with bullets earlier this month. He reported the incident to police and filed a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), alleging that his life was in danger.

Life in danger

Lesiyampe said the attack on his car convinced him that his life was in danger. He told detectives he had “credible information” about a plot to assassinate him.

These are just a few examples of the chaos faced by residents of Samburu North, where marauding bandits have returned, plunging the county back into turmoil.

The attacks come just months after Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit and local leaders celebrated the region’s peace, following a pact with neighboring communities.

Yesterday, Lelelit expressed regret over the worsening security, especially along the Maralal-Baragoi Road, calling for urgent action. “Things have gotten so bad. People no longer feel safe. We need decisive action from the national government,” he said.

County Police Commander Thomas Ototo acknowledged the resurgence of banditry and assured that security measures, including intensified patrols, had been put in place