Turkana community decry police brutality in ongoing crackdown

Members of the Turkana community in Isiolo County are now claiming the ongoing police operation in Daaba and other areas of Ngaremara ward to smoke out bandits was targeting and profiling the entire community.  

The residents urged the government to exercise sobriety in the operation to weed out criminals instead of unleashing terror on innocent residents.

Two weeks after 12 officers sustained gunshot wounds after being attacked by bandits at Makinya area in Isiolo, an operation meant to smoke out the bandits is said to have forced hundreds of families to flee their homes.

Police officers in armored vehicles are seen patrolling the area, an operation which has left members of the Turkana community in Isiolo accusing the government of ethnic profiling.

While condemning  the attack on police officers who were on their usual patrol duty the residents urged the government to exercise sobriety and go for the real criminals instead of unleashing terror on innocent residents.

The residents noted that similar criminal attacks against police officers have happened in other areas such as Kipsing, Merti and Sere Olipi in recent years.

Isiolo County Commissioner Herman Shambi however refuted claims that the police were using excessive force in the ongoing operation.

Shambi said that security matters were too sensitive to be politicized, urging members of public to refrain from engaging in baseless claims that police officers were terrorizing and even raping women in the operation area.