Kitui county commissioner said that thousands of herders who have encroached into the South Kitui National Reserve will be flashed out.
Security officers guarding upcoming Kona Kaliti police station within the game reserve have been withdrawn following days of attacks by armed camel herders.
Speaking on Friday, Kipchumba Rutto said the officers guarding the police installation were withdrawn for their safety.
Ruto said that, on Thursday evening, a gang of herders ambushed and pelted a police convoy that was headed to Kona Kaliti with stones. They were on a mission to reinforce security in the area.
The county commissioner added that the criminals raided the police station, subdued the few officers who were guarding the unfinished station block and defaced it.
“The goons altered the writing that indicated that the project was being funded by the county government of Kitui and instead wrote that it was a project by the county government of Tana River,” Rutto said.
Earlier on, hundreds of camel herders invaded the Kalalani Kenya Wildlife Service camp, still in the game reserve, and chased away all the officers before occupying the place.
According to a police incident report, raiders broke down and carted away toilet doors and movable items, among them, solar panels and batteries.
