Residents living within Mukogodo forest in Laikipia County have been issued with a seven-day’ vacation order by the government in order to allow for an armed operation to flush out bandits who have been stealing livestock in the area.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC) Dr. Abdi Hassan said that anyone found in the forest after the expiry of the seven-day notice will be deemed a cattle rustler and dealt with accordingly.
“Following the declaration by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen last month for the commencement of an operation to flush out bandits from the area, security personnel were immediately deployed and I can now say that security has been restored in most parts of Laikipia North. However, we still need to go further and flush out the remaining remnants hiding within the forest,” Dr. Hassan said.
The RC added that security agencies had so far recovered 633 livestock that had been stolen from locals and already returned them to their rightful owners out of the 1,300 lost to bandits in the area. He further revealed that 10 guns and 17 bullets had so far been recovered in the ongoing operation.
“The reason for the vacation order is to call on peace-loving residents in the area to allow our security agencies to get deep into the forest and carry out the operation devoid of civilian casualties. We have schools, hospitals, and residential homesteads and we wish that they are not harmed since these bandits are hiding amongst the communities,” he said.
The RC also called upon those holding illegal firearms in the area to surrender them to authorities before the end of the ultimatum lest they become targets of law enforcers once the operation commences.
“I want to tell everybody in the region that banditry will be a thing of the past in this country, the government has a mission to end cattle rustling once and for all, we’re committed to this,” he added.
The RC made the remarks on Wednesday after chairing a high-level security meeting at Dol Dol with officers drawn from the Rift Valley headquarters in Nakuru and those from Laikipia County.
Last month, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen toured the area and announced a multi-agency operation including the Kenya police and the military to flush out all bandits in the region, extending all the way to Isiolo, Samburu and Meru counties. The move was necessitated by an outcry from residents and local leaders who argue that the area has turned into cattle rustling paradise.
Laikipia County has constantly borne the brunt of cattle rustling, especially from communities living in neighbouring counties.
By Martin Munyi
