Members of Parliament have called for immediate government intervention following the massacre of more than 20 fishermen in Todonyang, Turkana County, by suspected militia. The attack which took place on February 22, 2025 has left several individuals still missing and residents fearing further violence. 

The debate was triggered by a motion of adjournment moved by Hon. (Dr.) Ariko Namoit, (Turkana South), under Standing Order 33(1), seeking to discuss the dire security situation in the region.  

Hon. Namoit decried the continued insecurity along the Kenya-Ethiopia border, citing past attacks where Turkana residents have suffered at the hands of foreign militia. “In 2011, 43 people were killed by the militia. In addition, in 2020, Merille bandits suspected to be from Omo in Ethiopia attacked residents in Todonyang with an intention of raiding livestock. This attack led to the loss of lives and livelihood,” he noted. 

Hon. Daniel Nanok described the grim circumstances of the massacre, alledging that there are dead bodies along the Omo River Delta and thrown into Lake Turkana. “That is the pain that the people of Turkana North and Turkana County are suffering,” he lamented. 

Hon. Cecilia Ngitit faulted the government for failing to deploy specialized forces to recover the bodies, noting that similar incidents in the Coast region receive swift action. “It has been a week now, and we are not able to retrieve the bodies of our people. We can only smell them in a stinking manner,” she said. 

Lawmakers called on the Cabinet Secretary for Interior to act swift action. Hon. Joseph Namuar termed the government’s response as slow rather than an a decisive effort to address the crisis. “The security agencies must have even been able to send help by now, but on the ground we have not seeing that happening,” he stated. 

Hon. Timothy Toroitich pointed out that the matter was not being given the attention it deserved in Parliament. “You can see today a motion has been brought to the effect that more than 20Kenyans have lost their lives, and you can see even the way this motion is casually taken,” he said. 

The Chairperson of the Administration and Internal Affairs, Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo acknowledged the unique challenges faced by Turkana County, including its proximity to hostile communities and the lack of alternative economic opportunities beyond fishing and pastoralism.  

“We really understand the geographical position of this area, Turkana. They are surrounded by a lot of hostile communities from the border countries. Even besides those, they have got a lot of challenges because you know the area is an arid area. So people go into fishing because there's no alternative source of livelihood. That is why the issue of cattle-rustling is very rampant in that area,” Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo said. 

He assured the House that the government was taking the matter seriously and would implement necessary measures to prevent further loss of lives. He also revealed that discussions on the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) had highlighted the need for a Coast Guard station in Turkana to enhance security. 

“We want to assure that as a Ministry, the government is going to do whatever it takes, no further lives are going to be lost in such a situation. When we were doing the BPS and these agencies were appearing before the committee, the issue of Turkana and loss of lives came up especially on the Coast Guards who are supposed to guard our seas and oceans, we challenged them so that they also set a station in Turkana, "he said. 

Legislators from Turkana County have also called for an increase in National Police Reservists (NPR) to support security efforts in the region. “Our colleagues from Turkana have been asking the Ministry to add more NPR so that they can help even our police officers ensure patrols and security are enhanced,” Hon. Tongoyo added.