Anger and grief have engulfed South Turkana after two Kenya Police Reservists (NPRs) were allegedly shot dead by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers in what residents are calling a brutal act of betrayal.
Three days after the killings, the usually quiet villages of Kaputir and Loyapat remain tense. Grieving families are demanding justice, accusing soldiers stationed at Loyapat KDF camp of executing the two reservists in cold blood.
The victims Eyapan Loluk and Simon Lomowas Ekaru were not bandits or criminals. They were local heroes, men trusted to protect their communities from cross-border raids and cattle rustlers. Their deaths, allegedly at the hands of fellow security officers, have left locals questioning who is truly protecting them.
“Alitoka na pikipiki yake akakutana na KDF, aliinua mikono lakini wakamvunja miguu,” recounted one shaken villager. “Mungu ndiye atajua. Sisi hatuna uwezo wa kushindana na KDF.”
(He raised his hands when he met the KDF officers, but they still shot him in the legs. Only God knows. We can’t fight the KDF.)
Families Cry for Justice
Under the scorching Turkana sun, wails fill the air as relatives mourn their loved ones.
Simon Lomowas, 45, leaves behind three widows and 18 children. His colleague, Eyapan Loluk, leaves behind a widow and nine children families now staring at a future clouded by uncertainty and poverty.
“Sasa tutaenda wapi? Nani atalipia watoto shule? Watoto wetu watateseka,” cried Jane Ikimat, the widow of Eyapan Loluk.
(Where do we go now? Who will pay school fees? Our children will suffer.)
The grief has now turned to fury, with locals demanding that those responsible face prosecution not quiet transfers or internal military cover-ups.
“We want the KDF officers who killed the NPRs to be brought before a military court,” declared Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai, his voice laced with anger.
Turkana Woman Representative Cecilia Ishuu condemned the killings, describing them as a “deep betrayal of trust” by the national security forces.
“Serikali inageuka serikali,” she lamented “The government is turning against itself.”
Security Forces Under Fire
A Kenya Defence Forces armored vehicle stood idle near Kaputir, its silence heavy with tension. Residents said its presence, once a symbol of protection, now evokes fear.
Local leaders and administrators have struggled to calm the situation.
Turkana Deputy County Commissioner Gideon Ombongi admitted that relations between the KDF and police reservists had deteriorated.
“We had Major Nyasi and Major Kahara, and things were okay,” Ombongi said. “But this recent incident has been very bad. Even if there are new commanders, this must be addressed. It is a serious mistake.”
So far, the KDF high command has not issued an official statement on the killings, but pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Defence to take responsibility and reassure the public that justice will be served.
Betrayal of the Protectors
For years, Kenya Police Reservists have served as the backbone of security in Turkana’s remote regions areas frequently plagued by banditry and cattle raids. Poorly equipped yet deeply committed, these reservists have often stood in for the national police where government presence is thin.
Their work has saved countless lives. Yet, their deaths at the hands of soldiers the very people meant to support them — have shaken public confidence in the nation’s security institutions.
“They were our brothers,” said Peter Ekidor, a resident of Kaputir. “They stayed awake at night to protect us. If KDF can kill them, what about us ordinary people?”
A Community on Edge
The killing has reopened old wounds between civilians and security agencies in Turkana, where accusations of heavy-handed military conduct have long existed.
Villagers in Kaputir and nearby Ngamia, Katilu, and Lokapel now fear reprisals or intimidation should they speak out.
Leaders have warned that if the matter is not addressed swiftly and transparently, the killings could erode cooperation between communities and the armed forces a relationship already strained by years of mistrust.
“When the government kills its own officers, it breaks the very chain of trust needed to fight insecurity,” said Governor Lomorukai. “This must not be buried under bureaucracy.”
A Call for Accountability
Human rights activists and local elders are now demanding a full independent investigation into the incident. They insist that both the National Police Service and Kenya Defence Forces leadership must explain how two trained reservists could be gunned down without provocation.
“Justice delayed will only fuel bitterness,” said a local elder during a community meeting. “We cannot mourn forever. We want answers.”
The Ministry of Interior and Defence has yet to issue a joint statement, but insiders suggest a court-martial could be convened if the KDF officers are found culpable.
A Nation Watching
As Kenya reels from the tragedy, the killings have sparked national outrage and reignited debate on the accountability of the armed forces.
The story of Eyapan Loluk and Simon Lomowas Ekaru is not just about two lives lost it’s about broken trust between protectors and the protected.
Their families now wait not just for justice, but for acknowledgment that their loved ones’ sacrifices will not be forgotten.
In South Turkana, grief hangs heavy. The dust may settle on the blood-stained soil of Kaputir, but the community’s cry for justice echoes far beyond a haunting reminder that even those sworn to protect can sometimes become the source of pain.
