In a bid to end banditry in Kenya, the government has created a special squad to monitor and pursue bandits, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has said.
Speaking on Monday, Kindiki revealed that the government has established a High-Level Counter Banditry Land and Air Team (LAT) complete with a Situation Room at the Ministry headquarters to oversight daily progress in this war.
“The government is investing in community-based intelligence, drone surveillance technology, modern personal protection equipment and kitting for our security personnel and application of land and air assets to neuter bandits and rustlers,” he said.
The CS emphasised that his ministry must silence the guns in the North.
Going further, in the short and long term, Kindiki said the government will roll out a Marshall Plan to open up such areas with social and economic infrastructure projects to correct historical developmental imbalances in our country.
In his 100 days in office, the former Tharaka Nithi senator said that the government has stirred and disrupted the banditry network.
Kindiki insisted that neither occasional antics nor the glorification of bandits will deter the government's resolve to eliminate them and the threat they pose.
“On behalf of a hurting nation, I pledge to oversee the complete and permanent end of banditry and livestock rustling in Kenya,” he said.
