Turkana County: The police officer who was injured by bandits on Lomelo Kapedo road in Turkana East sub-county has been airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
He was among eight police officers who were escorting Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination papers to Kapedo examination centre in Turkana East Sub-county when bandits attacked them.
The bandits struck on Monday afternoon at Kasarani between Lomelo Kapedo and engaged them in a heavy fire exchange before they burnt the car and examination papers.
The officer was airlifted by a police chopper that delivered another batch of examination papers.
A security source who sought anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the Press said there is a probability that other officers were injured during the attack.
The source further said there was fear that the bandits escaped with some of the examination papers before they razed the car.
Turkana Woman Representative Joyce Emanikor said: “I call upon the Kenya National Examinations Council to nullify this week’s examination because we suspect the bandits stole the papers and they are likely to sell them.”
By the time of going to press, the fate of the other seven officers who scampered to safety was still unclear even as county police commanders referred the matter to the Inspector General’s (IG) office in Nairobi.
An intelligence source said more security officers had been deployed to the area to track down the bandits.
Turkana County Police Commander Emmanuel Karisa said a contingent of security personnel was deployed to banditry hotspots.
HEAVY SECURITY
“Our officers are on the scene of the crime. We are on the ground trying to comb the area. We have secured the area until we apprehend the culprits,” Mr Karisa said.
Tension remains high in Kapedo trading centre as four schools were closed indefinitely for fear of attacks.
Residents claimed some teachers have fled to the neighbouring Marigat town about 40km away fearing for their lives.
Turkana County education director Nicodemus Anyang said the examination papers for the 25 students of Kapedo Mixed Secondary School were delivered on yesterday morning by a police chopper and the students sat for English papers amid heavy security.
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“We have no cause to worry, the examination was delivered safely and the students wrote it in the morning without any hitch,” Dr Anyang said.
Former Kapedo Councillor Joseph Eragai said the attackers sprayed the police car with bullets before setting it ablaze.
“The raiders numbering over 100 ambushed and sprayed the car with bullets at Kasarani. The officers scampered for safety but one was already injured by the time they fled,” he said.
Mr Eragai said the incident happened only two days after a county vehicle carrying hospital staff from Lodwar to Kapedo health centre was attacked and three people, including a teacher, injured.
Anyang said due to the high level of insecurity, students will be relocated next week to Lokori from where they will continue with the exams.
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