Chief Inspector of Police Somo, popularly known among his colleagues as Afande Somo, is among the police officers killed in a deadly bandit attack in Isiolo.
Somo had returned to Kenya only a few months ago after serving in Haiti, where he was part of the Kenyan police contingent deployed on the international security mission.
The officer’s death has stunned colleagues who had watched him survive the dangers of the Haiti deployment, only for his life to be cut short after returning home.
Reports circulating among police officers and security circles identify Somo as one of the officers killed during the latest bandit attack in Isiolo.
The attack underlines the continuing dangers faced by security personnel operating in Kenya’s northern frontier, where armed banditry and livestock raids have repeatedly triggered deadly confrontations.
Recent attacks in Isiolo have involved armed groups targeting communities and security personnel. The region remains a major security challenge, with police and National Police Reservists frequently deployed to protect communities and respond to raids.
For Somo, the journey from an international security mission in Haiti back to duty in Kenya has ended in tragedy.
His colleagues are now mourning an officer who survived one of the country’s most demanding overseas deployments, only to fall while serving at home.
The full circumstances of the attack, including the identities of all the officers killed and the precise circumstances surrounding Somo’s death, are still emerging.