JOHN LEMERELE: Joint operation with military will crush bandits

Moving to deploy the military was well thought out and highly likely will realise results in North Rift.

The law enforcers, apart from the physical combat to weed out this proscribed group, should also employ strategies to deflate the bandits financed by well-placed actors.

First, the government should consider blocking sources of food supply to the bandits, household head counts and gathering information about the missing individuals.

Our forces should also consider using modern technology to expose the bandits from hideouts. I mean things like drones  and cameras.

To ensure support from the ground, the government should consider  food and water to residents; this will assist in crucial intelligence gathering.

The army is trained in conventional warfare. The current threats are amorphous. Solving them requires more than the brute force usually associated with the military.

What will make this a success are strategies like use of technology, blocking of supplies, supply of essentials like food and water to locals to win their trust, blocking supplies to bandits and rounding them in their hideouts.

The previous strategies failed mainly because the government was using the police. The President ordered the army to join the mission.

District Peace Committees were marred with political interference and  banditry appeared to be the politician's tool for mileage.

There were allegations bandits were supported by key politicians through food , and other resources in the previous government.

There were no military and police training facilities in banditry areas. 

The previous government lacked established operational camps in every subcounty or ward in conflict counties.

Camps should be occupied by GSU and RDU with adequate food and supplies.

West Pokot, Baringo, Samburu and Turkana counties should be dominated by security and military facilities.

Why is this approach likely to succeed? We have over 10 recruit, cadet and senior command training institutions but none is located in these counties.

Following the President's commitment to spread facilities in these counties, the presence of security personnel and equipment, officers on training will likely dominate, thus deterring lawlessness.

Certified security expert spoke to the Star

(Edited by V. Graham)

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