Residents of Turkana County's South Lokichar Basin are linking an intensified security operation to the impending revival of petroleum extraction, expressing fears of militarization and restricted movement.

• Residents claim the operation, involving Armoured Personnel Carriers and drones, is aimed at securing oil fields rather than combating banditry.
• Local leaders, including Ward Representative Samwel Lomodo and activists like Eunice Ateyo of Friends of Lake Turkana, have voiced concerns.
• The security operation is concentrated in villages struggling with livestock theft and drought, with residents anxious about land acquisition, compensation, and employment opportunities related to the oil sector.