Transport along the Ruiri–Isiolo route was brought to a standstill on Tuesday September 16, 2025 as angry residents staged protests demanding action against rising insecurity. 

The demonstrators accused cattle rustlers of driving away their livestock during a raid two weeks ago and alleged the animals were taken to Samburu County.

During the protest, residents blocked the road with stones and thorny bushes and engaged police in running battles for a while.

Meru based political activist Mike Makarina who joined the protesters accused the government officers of frustrating efforts to recover the stolen animals even after they were traced in Samburu where they were holed up.

Makarina who showed up in support of one of the victims of the theft, a disabled forty-year-old woman, who lost over fifty cows and goats in the raid said residents would not relent in the pursuit of justice and called on Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen to release available resources to aid in the pursuit of the criminals.

Protesters also accused the government of being slow to act on available evidence after a mobile phone and an identity card were allegedly recovered from the trail of raiders by Kenya police reservists and residents who pursued the stolen animals.

Peter Kailemia said that more than 125 cattle and goats were taken from three families and efforts by residents to trace the animals were futile after officers who were manning the armored vehicle declined to engage the bandits who were in possession of the stolen animals.

Kailemia accused the officers of not showing enough vigilance in ensuring the animals were returned and called on the government to use all available means to recover the animals.

Junice Kaulu, a PWD who was also a victim of the raid said that the incident was the third time for her to face the wrath of bandits but in all three attempts the authorities were able to recover the stolen animals.

Buuri East sub county DCIO officers urged residents to calm down, adding that forensic investigations had been initiated on the recovered items from the bandits,  including an identity card and a mobile phone and would help to create leads to the planners and executors of the theft.

 Written by George Kobia, TV47 Correspondent