Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has advised the State to enhance its strategy in dealing with bandits in the North Rift.
Speaking on Monday in an interview with NTV, the former Rift Valley Regional Commissioner said the government needs to be more forceful when dealing with bandits.
"These people are not like al-Shabaab. The al-Shabaab are cowards, they hide in the mosques and detonate bombs as they flee. These North Rift bandits are not cowards. They take on security agents and ambush officers," he said.
The governor said that the bandits are daring enough to rob the multi-agency security personnel send to hunt them down.
He noted that they normally attack fiercely especially after being warned.
"Even the CS can go out there and at the same time they are attacking the residents...and when the CS travels back from the area, that night they attack mercilessly," he said.
Natembeya reiterated that there was need to increase the security force in bandit-prone areas as the level of impunity had been encouraged by government's inaction against banditry.
He said the government should consider a forceful disarmament exercise in the affected areas.
Earlier on Monday, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki ordered all persons across the country holding illegal firearms and or ammunition to surrender them immediately and unconditionally within three days.
Kindiki said failure to obey the order will be met with the full force of the law.
The CS said the government has determined the security situation currently prevailing in the Northern Rift Valley region as a national emergency.
"Accordingly, painful and decisive measures must be taken effective immediately," he said.
