The National Police Service (NPS) has spoken out after seven people were shot dead in Kwa Kamari area of Tseikuru Sub-county, Kitui County.
In a statement on Sunday, April 26, the service said the attack happened on Saturday, April 25, with all those killed believed to be from the Kamba community.
The police linked the killings to a series of retaliatory attacks between members of the Kamba and Somali communities.
"The National Police Service is deeply perturbed by deaths reported at Tseikuru Sub-county, Kitui County, as reported yesterday evening. A chronology of criminal attacks below points to a pattern of retaliatory attacks involving two communities-the Kamba and the Somali-which must not only be condemned but also stopped immediately," the statement read.
NLS also gave details of earlier incidents that may have triggered the latest violence.
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"On 29th March 2026, a 44-year-old Kamba herdsman was killed near Mwingi Game Reserve. The following day, 30th March 2026, a suspected retaliatory attack left four members of the Somali community dead," the statement added.
In their statement, NPS said they strongly condemned the latest killings and confirmed senior officers had been deployed to the area.
"The Service takes great exception to such senseless and needless loss of life, which must be stopped immediately. The Inspector General of the National Police Service (IG-NPS), Douglas Kanja, has already dispatched a high-powered security team led by Eliud Lagat, the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service (DIG-KPS), who is already on the ground this morning at Kwa Kamari, Tseikuru," the statement continued.
NPS added that more officers were being sent to contain the situation and investigate the attacks.
"Reinforcements are also being dispatched to the area. The whole aspect of these attacks will be investigated exhaustively and to a logical conclusion," the statement noted.
NPS urged residents to remain calm and called on local leaders to promote peace as investigations continue.
"The NPS will take all necessary measures to combat this violence and calls for calm and restraint from both communities. Community leaders are also reminded to speak the language of peace and reconciliation as criminal culpability and ultimate justice are pursued," the statement concluded.
Elsewhere, this comes days after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) provided an update on investigations into the fatal shooting of a man in Garissa County.
In a statement on Thursday, April 23, the agency said the probe was launched after it received official notification of the incident from the National Police Service (NPS).
"The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA's Rapid Response Team yesterday commenced investigations into the fatal shooting of Mr. Adan Mohamed Hassan on 21st April 2026 near the Modika Barrier in Garissa County," the statement read.
IPOA outlined preliminary findings on events leading to the shooting, indicating the deceased had responded to assist a friend who had been arrested.
"Preliminary findings indicate that at approximately 2:20 a.m. on the material day, the deceased responded to a distress call from a friend who had been arrested, during which his vehicle was damaged by officers from the Balambala Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)," the statement added.
The authority further detailed the circumstances under which Hassan was shot and the medical findings from the postmortem.
"While the deceased attempted to intervene, he suffered a fatal gunshot injury. A postmortem examination established the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the head," the statement further read.
IPOA said investigators had already carried out several steps aimed at preserving evidence and gathering information relevant to the case.
"IPOA investigators have undertaken several actions, including attending the post-mortem examination, recording witness statements, obtaining police documents, securing critical exhibits, documenting the crime scene, and documenting both the police and the damaged civilian motor vehicles," the statement concluded.
