•Mohammed says government is developing a road map and master plan to wipe out banditry in Kerio Valley and other affected counties.
•President William Ruto ordered an operation to arrest those involved in the attack.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
The ongoing security operation in Kerio Valley has led to recovery all 150 guns stolen from police killed in a bandit attack in Naipetom village in Turkana East last month.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Maalim Mohamed confirmed that five notorious bandits had also been arrested in Tiaty constituency in connection with the attack and other banditry activities.
The attack on September 25, left eight GSU officers dead along with a chief and two civilians.
They were pursuing stolen animals when they were ambushed.
President William Ruto ordered an operation to arrest the attackers.
“We have managed to recover the guns within Tiaty and also arrested some suspects,”Mohamed said.
He said local administrators including a chief, elders and the security teams helped recover the arms.
Mohammed said Tiaty had been identified as a major hideout for the bandits in remote forested regions.
Some arms were surrendered by the community while others were found through use of force by security teams.
Mohamed said they would work with community to collect more than 150 arms and restore lasting peace.
“We urge those still holding arms illegally to surrender them under the amnesty we have offered because failure to do so will attract serious action from security officers,” Mohammed said.
The security teams in the Kerio Valley are now targeting to destroy major hide outs used by bandits to plan and carry out attacks in the region.
Most of the hideouts have been located within heavily forested and remote area especially within Tiaty constituency in Baringo.
Police have also profiled and are targeting to arrest master minds of the attacks who are also involved in training youth to engage in banditry.
Mohamed says security teams will not relent in the latest onslaught on bandits in the region.
“We have stepped up measures to ensure we go to those hideouts and flash out the criminals as part of measures to ensure we deal with the insecurity problem once and for all,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed says the government is developing a road map and master plan that will be used to wipe out banditry in Kerio Valley and other affected counties.
He says they are now working with all stakeholders including elected leaders to come up with an effective plan that will be implemented to wipe out banditry and open up the region for development activities.
Most affected counties in the region include West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu, Turkana and Laikipia among others.
Some of the details in the road map have already been handed over to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who has been meeting governors and county commissioners from the region to discuss the insecurity problem.
“My pledge is that we will work with all elected leaders and even communities to ensure we deal with banditry once and for all,” Mohammed said.
Part of the plan is to develop the infrastructure in the region including roads and electricity, put up more schools and also expand programmes to benefit the youth.
(Edited by V. Graham)