Two government employees were on Thursday evening shot dead by bandits at Laikipia’s Nature Conservancy.

Another Laikipia County employee identified as Mr Ikinya Matindi, was also shot and seriously injured during the 6.50pm Thursday attack.

Confirming the incident, Nyahururu OCPDP Mr Ezekiel Chepkwony said the officials had visited the conservancy ran by Italian-born conservationist Kuki Gallmann to help him identify some mature trees he wanted to cut down when they met with their assailants.

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The on Friday reported that the  OCPD said among the dead was a driver attached to the county government and a Nyahururu-based forester.

“The bandits, who had stolen livestock from Kieni village in Wangwaci area, met the workers whom they thought were security personnel pursuing them before they indiscriminately shot at them,” said Mr Kihara.

Mr Matindi was rushed to the Nyahururu County Referral Hospital for treatment. A contingent of General Service Unit personnel are pursuing the six rustlers who escaped with 19 head of cattle and one goat.

Laikipia’s Nature Conservancy has been at the centre of protracted animosity between the community and the conservationists, a scenario which led to the shooting dead of Kuki Gallmann at her farm in April last year.