Two police officers are among five people killed in a suspected bandit attack in Gotu, Isiolo County.
The attack happened on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as a group travelled to search for the body of an elderly man who had allegedly been killed by suspected bandits a day earlier.
The group was reportedly ambushed at Madho Gurba Huka, a grazing area in Chari Ward, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the attackers and security officers.
Three elders who had joined the search party were also reportedly killed.
Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo confirmed the deaths and condemned the attack, saying residents and security officers continued to lose their lives to armed banditry.
“I strongly condemn the latest bandit attack in the Gotu area that has claimed the lives of five people, including two police officers,” Guyo said.
One of the officers killed was reportedly a Chief Inspector attached to the Gotu Administration Police Rapid Deployment Unit camp.
Governor Guyo called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and national security agencies to intensify security operations in the area.
He also urged authorities to strengthen patrols and intelligence gathering and ensure those behind the attacks are brought to justice.
The latest incident comes amid renewed insecurity in parts of Isiolo. Last week, a police constable was shot when an Anti-Stock Theft Unit patrol team was ambushed by suspected bandits in Kakili, Burat Ward.
The repeated attacks have raised fresh concerns over the safety of residents, herders and security officers operating in the affected areas.
