City Lawyer Yashim Butende has strongly condemned the recent bandit attacks that have left communities in Meru and Isiolo counties in fear and mourning.
This comes after on Friday night, more than 100 armed bandits, operating in three separate gangs, raided villages in Igembe Central, Tigania East, and Buuri.
According to the police, the attackers stole hundreds of livestock and killed over seven people including National Police Service reservists .
Sources told this publications that several other people were badly injured. Later after the attack some drone footage l showed the armed men moving through the Mariara Forest in Igembe as they scamper for safety.
Speaking early today on the , Lawyer Butende said he was shocked by the attacks. “The scale and organization of these raids is deeply worrying. Our communities are living in fear, and the government must step in to protect lives and livelihoods,” he said.
He urged authorities to act decisively and accurately.
“This is more than isolated crime; this is an organized threat. Security agencies need to deploy rapid-response units and strengthen patrols in vulnerable areas before more people are hurt,” Butende added.
He also emphasized that accountability is crucial. “The people responsible for these attacks cannot be allowed to operate with impunity. They must be tracked down and face justice,” he said.
Beyond immediate action, Butende called for long-term measures to protect communities.
“The government should support affected families, recover stolen livestock, and improve intelligence and community policing. Our people cannot continue living in fear while armed criminals roam freely,” he stressed.
The attacks highlight persistent security challenges along the Meru–Isiolo border, where banditry has continued to disrupt the lives of herders and villagers despite ongoing government efforts to curb it.