CS for Interior Kipchumba Murkomen with security officers during a tour in Kerio Valley
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered bandits in Samburu to surrender or face action as the government moves to restore security in the area.
Murkomen said security teams would apply the same tough measures used in Kerio Valley to rid Samburu of illegal firearms and deal with those involved in banditry.
"Let the bandits still terrorising residents of Samburu surrender, or they will live to regret it. In Kerio Valley, they said we would do nothing, but what followed is now water under the bridge. We cannot tolerate anyone carrying illegal firearms and using them to kill and maim our people in Samburu. No way," Murkomen said.
Murkomen spoke in Samburu, where four people, including a bandit, were killed in the latest banditry attack in the county less than 48 hours after the CS visited the area.
He assured residents of the government's commitment to flush out bandits from Malaso Valley.
In the latest attack, about 60 armed Pokot bandits from neighbouring Baringo county allegedly raided Samburu herders grazing their livestock in the Nolkera area of Samburu West subcounty. They opened fire, killing three people instantly.
GSU and KDF officers from Ntungai and Nolkera camps responded and recovered all the stolen livestock after a gun battle, during which several of the attackers are suspected to have escaped with bullet wounds.
"We have issued firm instructions to security teams in Samburu to act decisively and ensure there are no bandits in the county. They must be dealt with at all costs so that peace and security prevail in Samburu," Murkomen said.
Murkomen said the number of illegal firearms surrendered to security agencies during the ongoing voluntary disarmament exercise in the North Rift has risen to more than 2,000.
The firearms were surrendered by reformed bandits and other community members in counties affected by banditry.
This is include Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, West Pokot and parts of Samburu.
The CS said the intelligence-led security operation in Kerio Valley has succeeded in curbing banditry, a challenge previous governments had failed to address.
Murkomen said President William Ruto is determined to end banditry and that security teams deployed to the region have clear instructions to deal with the menace decisively.
He explained how the disarmament exercise was carried out in Kerio Valley, noting that those who refused to surrender illegal firearms had been dealt with without mercy.
"We first issued orders that those with illegal guns must surrender them to the police. At first, many ignored the directive, arguing we would not succeed where previous governments had failed," Murkomen said.
He said the government secretly compiled the names of people believed to be in possession of illegal firearms, after which chiefs informed them that they had to surrender the weapons.
"They had to comply with Ruto's directive, which gave them three options. We are happy that many of them chose the best option, which was to surrender the guns," he said.
Murkomen said the same approach would be applied in all areas affected by banditry, including Samburu, parts of Nyanza and the South Rift.
"I will go and camp in those areas until we have no illegal guns at all. If those in such areas do not believe us, let them travel to Kerio Valley and ask residents what happened," Murkomen said.
