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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has ordered residents living in 27 bandit-prone areas in Rift Valley to vacate within the next 24 hours.
Kindiki said the government has decided to upscale the security operation to neutralize the banditry menace that has been declared a national emergency.
"The measures we are announcing today are meant to inject new impetus and push this operation to a new level," he said in a statement on Sunday.
He warned that any person found in the 27 areas from Monday will be treated as a suspect of armed banditry, or as a suspect of aiding and abetting banditry, or as an accessory after the fact.
The areas are Korkoron Hills, Tandare Valley and Silale Gorges in Baringo County, Mukogodo Forest; Kamwenje, Warero and Ndonyoriwo; Lekuruki Hills, Losos and Kiape Caves and Sieku Valley in Laikipia County.
Areas of Ltungai Conservancy, Longewan, Nasuur, Lochokia and Lekadaar Escarpments, Lolmolok Caves, Pura Valley, Malaso Escarpment and Suguta Valley in Samburu County have also been declared as scenes of crime.
Residents in Kapelbok, Nakwamoru, Lebokat, Ombollion, Nadome and Kamur caves in Turkana County are also required to vacate as well as those in Turkwell Escarpment at the interface of West Pokot and Turkana counties.
Kindiki noted that over 135 Kenyans, including 20 security officers, have been killed by bandits in the last seven months. This week, at least 12 Kenyans were killed in Malaso, Pura and Kur Kur areas while 6 others lost their lives in Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
"I assure the people of Kenya that we shall neutralize every bandit who defies the Government and engages in the atrocious killing, maiming, and displacement of people from their homes," he said.
He added: "We are taking this war to their hideouts by land and air, with all our weight and might and with all the strength that God has given us to effectively defeat this lamentable catalog of crimes against humanity. We shall never surrender our Country to criminals."
The cabinet secretary also said he will soon name spiritual leaders and politicians who are benefitting from the security threat.
Comments
Wearing Battle Fatigue will neither give you a manly voice nor make you look like a tough guy! You just do not fit in well with the job assigned to you. It is not in your character to a be a Simba bwana Kindiki. You are awfully too soft. Nice guys finish the race last!!!
Shoot on sight. Jomo did it, shiftas disappeared from Kenya.
That's the only way to deal with these brazen thugs.
Should wipe out the bandits and their sponsors ruthlessly once and for all!!! Pound those balls!!!
President Ruto should ask the US to borrow a C-130 Angel of Death and the job will be completed in a matter of hours!!! A complete wipe out!!!
This reminds me of the 2005 hurricane Katrina in the U.S. Then President Bush asked the citizens to move out. CS Kindiki should provide the residents with systems, logistics and security to move them. The CS should be on the ground leading the move. Giving orders from the ivory towers is not leadership.
Kindiki is not the right guy to fight bandits! He does not have what it takes to deal with bandits. He does s too soft and the bandits know it.