Ex-policeman linked to attacks in Kapedo shot dead

Security personnel on patrol in the Nginyang area of Baringo County on November 12, 2014 during an operation to recover guns stolen from administration police officers killed by bandits on the Kapedo-Lokori road. FILE PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Lucas Majong Todong, was shot after he snatched an officer’s firearm and started fleeing.
  • He was taken to the Kabarnet hospital, where he died.

A former police officer suspected to be behind the October 2014 Kapedo attack in which three police officers and two civilians died was on Tuesday morning shot dead as he attempted to escape after being arrested.

Police said the suspect, Mr Lucas Majong Todong, was shot after he snatched an officer’s firearm and started fleeing.

National Police Service spokesman George Kinoti on Wednesday said officers were escorting Mr Todong in a police vehicle from the Nginyang Police Station in Baringo to Kabarnet for further interrogation around 5.40 am when the incident happened.

Detectives said they had evidence linking him to the attacks, but they wanted to carry out further investigations in Kabarnet. He had been questioned and his statement taken at Nginyang.

However, on reaching Chesirimon, about 8km from the police station, Mr Todong is said to have grabbed a firearm from one of the police officers escorting him and attempted to escape.

He was shot and seriously injured and the firearm recovered. He was taken to the Kabarnet hospital, where he died.

East Pokot police commander Eliud Njeru said a post-mortem examination would be done today. According to the police, Mr Todong joined the police service in 1994.