Multi-agency security teams have recovered 3,075 stolen sheep and goats following separate bandit attacks in Marsabit, Samburu and Isiolo counties, with the largest recovery involving 3,000 animals in Loiyangalani.
The National Police Service (NPS) said the recovery followed an operation conducted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in Loiyangalani Sub-County, Marsabit, where suspected armed bandits had ambushed herders migrating with their livestock.
The herders were moving from the Mouwokiteng area towards Lardapach when the attackers struck, seized approximately 3,000 sheep and goats and drove them towards Arapal.
A multi-agency response team was immediately mobilised and launched an operation to pursue the attackers. The security officers subsequently intercepted the suspects and recovered all the stolen animals.
A separate report by Kahawa Tungu also indicated that the November 3 incident left one person dead and another herder injured during the confrontation. The injured man was identified as Angolekon Loibach, aged 30, while the deceased was an unidentified adult Samburu man. The National Police Service's public statement did not mention the reported casualties.
The latest recovery followed another operation conducted on Monday, November 2, under Operation Maliza Uhalifu, involving security officers operating across Samburu and Isiolo counties.
According to the NPS, officers stationed in the Shaba area received intelligence that suspected bandits had attacked Archers in Samburu East and were driving away stolen sheep and goats towards Manyatta Zebra in Isiolo County.
A multi-agency team was subsequently deployed to pursue the suspects, tracking them to the Oltungai Plateau, where an exchange of gunfire broke out.
The confrontation forced the suspected bandits to flee, allowing security officers to recover 75 sheep and goats. The NPS said the animals had since been positively identified and returned to their rightful owners.
Both recoveries bring the total number of livestock retrieved in the two operations to 3,075, highlighting continued security interventions against livestock theft and armed banditry in northern Kenya.
Operation Maliza Uhalifu is a multi-agency government security initiative targeting banditry, livestock theft and the proliferation of illegal firearms in parts of the North Rift and northern frontier regions.
The initiative brings together security agencies and local communities in efforts to pursue armed criminals, recover stolen property and improve security in affected areas.
On November 1, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo reported that security operations under Operation Maliza Uhalifu and Operation Rudisha Bunduki had resulted in the recovery of more than 2,600 illegal firearms and 17,000 livestock since their launch in 2023.
The government has also highlighted the importance of community participation in tackling livestock theft, particularly in pastoralist regions where cattle rustling and armed raids continue to threaten livelihoods.
The National Police Service commended security agencies and local communities for their cooperation in the latest operations, urging residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or post.
