• Kindiki said the curfew orders will only be lifted when the state is convinced that all security threats have been eliminated.
• Senator Lomenen had also asked to know when the state planned to lift the curfew.
Image: MINA
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has said that curfew orders issued imposed on towns and centres in Turkana, as well as all other areas declared disturbed, will remain in effect until further notice.
While responding to a question by Turkana Senator James Lomenen, Kindiki said the curfew orders will only be lifted when the state is convinced that all security threats have been eliminated.
“The curfew orders in Turkana County or other counties where it has been determined that the state of insecurity categorizes them as dangerous and disturbed, those orders will supersede and we have no timelines," the CS said.
“We will not say when those orders will expire. Those orders will expire when we are convinced that the current threat has been extinguished.”
Lomenen had asked the CS if the Ministry had undertaken an impact assessment of the curfew imposed in the towns and centres in Turkana county, particularly Lokichar, Nakabosan, Kekunyuk, Kalemngorok, Kaputir, Kakongu and Kainuk areas and the extent to which the curfew had achieved its intended purpose.
The Senator had also asked to know when the state planned to lift the curfew.
In his response, Kindiki said the state is currently reviewing whether there is a need to have specific towns and centres excluded from the curfew orders.
He said these towns must be deemed not to be contributing to the security challenges in their respective areas.
Kindiki said the assessment has been going on for the last two months.
“There are indications that some of the town centres will be removed from the curfew orders the same way we did with some of the urban centres that had been included in the curfew orders within Samburu county.
“For avoidance, the government will only consider on a case-by-case basis, particular towns and urban centres especially around the Kitale-Kapenguria-Kainuk-Lokichar-Lodwar highway. A few of those urban centres may be exempted but only within urban centres so we don’t affect commercial activities.”
Kindiki, however, noted that the general area still remains volatile.
In March, Kindiki said the security situation in Turkana County had considerably improved since the commencement of Operation Maliza Uhalifu a year ago.
The recruitment, training and deployment of National Police Reservists (NPRs), he said, had significantly augmented the efforts of the formed-up units of the security agencies.
He said it has resulted in normalcy on the Kitale-Lodwar Highway and several other areas within Turkana County that were experiencing insecurity.
The CS was speaking after holding a status of County Security Appraisal Forum with the Turkana County Security and Intelligence Agency Heads at Lodwar Town.
Operation Maliza Uhalifu was launched in February 2023, following continuous violent activity by bandits in North Rift.
The operation is led by police forces and supported by the military in a multi-agency security team that also consists of National Police Reserve forces – volunteers operating as supplementary forces within their communities.