This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
On May 6, 2020, a devastating flood swept away 12 police officers from the Anti Stock Theft Unit in Baringo County, leaving six of them dead and six others missing.
According to Baringo County Commissioner Henry Wafula, the body of a missing officer was retrieved from the Kagir River on May 11, 2020, bringing the total number of fatalities to seven.
Wafula explained that the officers were crossing the River Kagir when they were swept away by flash floods at the seasonal river.
“On Monday evening, we retrieved another body after a four-day search. This brings the number of the dead officers to seven,” Wafula said.
He added that the death of the officers who were maintaining security at the volatile Yatya area in Baringo North was a big blow.
“The evening when officers were swept, we had just had a briefing in Kabarnet regarding an operation. However, they were swept while they were pushing their vehicle that got stuck at the river,” he said.
Three officers managed to swim across, and two others were rescued and treated at Marigat Sub-County hospital and discharged.
Wafula also confirmed that some of the firearms the officers had have been retrieved.
