During a multi-agency operation
to recover stolen livestock and seize illegal firearms after deadly bandit
attacks in neighboring Isiolo, Kenyan security forces reportedly shot hundreds
of animals in Samburu East’s Waso Ward.
Reports vary, with estimates from 517 animals cited by the senator to over 1,200 goats, cattle, and donkeys according to local MP Jackson Lekumontare and associations.
Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit condemned the 'indiscriminate killing' as a human rights violation, while residents and leaders demand an independent investigation, compensation, and a halt to the current tactics amid protests. Livestock losses strike at families' core livelihoods, food security, and savings in this pastoralist region.