Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki has ordered the army to be deployed to a remote area where 42 police officers were killed in an ambush by cattle rustlers on Saturday.
A presidential statement issued on Tuesday said the National Security Council had authorised the deployment of the army to support police in "apprehending the bandits and recovering stolen animals and arms".
Police say 42 policemen were killed as they hunted cattle thieves on Saturday
The ambush occurred in Baragoi, a district in northern Kenya. AFP reports the troops will be deployed in Samburu county and other areas.
The rustlers were already suspected of killing 13 people in a raid on 30 October.
Cattle theft and tribal clashes are common in northern Kenya. However, AFP reports it is rare for police officers to be attacked by rustlers.
