Police recovers stolen livestock after armed raid along Kenya-Uganda border
The National Police Service (NPS) has successfully recovered livestock stolen during an armed cross-border raid in Turkana, averting what could have been a major flare-up along the volatile Kenya-Uganda border.
The daring nighttime incident, according to the NPS statement on X, occurred on June 25, 2025, when suspected Turkana youths allegedly crossed into Ugandan territory and drove away cattle, sparking a tense security response.
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Ugandan authorities promptly alerted their Kenyan counterparts, triggering a swift joint response. By the morning of June 27, 2025, the NPS had managed to intercept the raiders and recover the stolen animals.
“On the night of 25 June 2025, Ugandan authorities reported that suspected Turkana youths had crossed into Uganda and stolen cattle, driving them back towards the Kenyan border.” Read part of the statement.
In response, officers from the National Police Service (NPS) were swiftly mobilised to block possible escape routes and pursue the stolen livestock. The statement also read that the security team intercepted the suspects, leading to an exchange of gunfire that forced the raiders to flee. The animals were successfully recovered during the operation.
The recovered cattle are a vital economic and cultural asset to pastoralist communities living in Turkana and the surrounding arid regions. Authorities have since secured the animals, pending verification of ownership before returning them to the rightful owners.
This latest raid brings to the fore the persistent problem of cattle rustling, which has long plagued northern Kenya and neighboring regions. While once a traditional practice associated with wealth accumulation and social rites, modern rustling has morphed into a dangerous, often deadly enterprise driven by the availability of illegal firearms, youth unemployment, and environmental stressors such as drought and land degradation.
Turkana, which shares a porous border with Uganda, remains a hotspot for such raids due to historical tensions and limited state presence. Shrinking grazing lands, erratic rainfall patterns, and poverty continue to fuel the risk of violence as communities compete over scarce resources.
The NPS commended the quick coordination with Ugandan forces, citing it as a testament to improved regional cooperation on security matters. However, the armed nature of the raid has also reignited concerns about the slow progress of disarmament programs. Despite past efforts, including the Dumisha Amani initiative, illegal weapons remain widely accessible in the region.
In the statement following the recovery, police warned against cross-border raids and vowed to intensify surveillance along the border. They also appealed to community elders and local leaders to support peace efforts and offer young people alternatives to violence.
“The NPS warns the public against engaging in criminal activities, including cross-border livestock theft and unlawful incursions into neighboring countries,” read the statement.
Investigations are ongoing, as authorities work to identify the culprits and dismantle the networks behind these raids.
