Officers, families commemorate victims of Baragoi massacre

Security personnel have recovered 36 guns stolen from 42 police officers who were killed in Lomirok, Baragoi, in Samburu North in an operation to recover stolen animals in November 2012.

The deputy inspector-general in charge of Administration Police, Mr Samuel Arachi, said he was optimistic the remaining five would be recovered.

Samburu County Commissioner Mohammed Birik said three people were sentenced to death and two others have pending cases in court over the killings.

The two were addressing the public at the Samburu North Sub-County commissioner's compound in Baragoi Town on Tuesday during a function to mark the third anniversary of the officers' slaying.

A monument has been put up to commemorate the police officers who died on duty.

"We built this monument here so that Turkana and Samburu communities can see the names of Kenyans, including their own, who were killed in a cattle rustling incident.

“They will see it every morning as they go to market and this will discourage them from repeating such an offence," said Mr Arachi.

The names of the deceased police officers were engraved on three bronze plates and affixed to the walls of the monument.

National Director of Peace and Community Policing Mark Leleruk said the names of two police officers who are still missing would be included on the list after the lapse of seven years, when they would be constitutionally declared dead.

Samburu North MP Alois Lentoimaga urged communities in the area to shun cattle rustling.