Government Declares Kapedo a Special Operation Zone, Extends Dusk-to-Dawn Curfew

The government has declared Kapedo a Special Operation Area in the wake of the recent banditry attacks.

Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i on Monday gazetted the war-tone area as a special operation zone and extended the dusk-to-dawn curfew.

Matiang’i indicated that the curfew, which runs from 6 pm to 6 am, aims at aiding the ongoing operation to flush out armed bandits that have been terrorizing locals.

“I am issuing a gazette notice shortly extending curfew hours in Kapedo and I am going to designate it as a special operation area. We will have to maintain a curfew between 6 pm to 6 am, so that we can do all the work we need to do there and complete it,” said Matiang’i.

He added: “We are not going to postpone that problem again and tell stories by meeting with leaders and lying to each other. Everyone knows what the problem in that part of our country is and now we are determined to resolve it once and for all. We will remain there until that problem is sorted out.” 

Several people including two senior police officers were killed by suspected bandits during the most recent attacks in Kapedo—a volatile area at the border of Baringo and Turkana Counties.

Last week, Tiaty MP William Kamket was arrested in Nairobi in connection with the attacks but was freed after interrogation.

Kamket is among leaders from Baringo and West Pokot, who appealed to President Kenyatta to deescalate the ongoing security operation in Kapedo, terming it inhumane.