Police Officer Killed, Gun Stolen While Guarding Turkana Exam Papers
A police officer was shot dead and his firearm stolen in Turkana County while on a critical mission to escort Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination papers. The officer was part of a security team assigned to ensure the safe delivery of the national exams to various centers when their vehicle was ambushed by suspected bandits. The attack highlights the severe security challenges in the region, even during operations of national importance.
The ambush occurred in a remote, high-risk area as the police vehicle was en route to an examination center. The assailants, believed to be armed cattle rustlers, opened fire on the official vehicle, resulting in the fatal shooting of the officer. Following the attack, the gunmen seized the officer’s G3 rifle before fleeing the scene. The body of the deceased officer was later moved to the Lodwar County Referral Hospital mortuary.
The killing has been met with outrage and condemnation from the National Police Service and local leaders, who have vowed to pursue the perpetrators. A multi-agency security team has been dispatched to track down the assailants and recover the stolen firearm. The incident has cast a pall over the examination process in the region, raising urgent questions about the safety of security personnel and the need for more robust measures to protect them while on duty in bandit-prone zones.