The government has announced a massive operation within Mukogodo forest in Laikipia County to flush out armed bandits who have been terrorising residents in the area and stealing their livestock.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, while making the announcement on Tuesday at Kurum chief’s camp in Laikipia North sub-county, added that the operation would commence within 48 hours and would be carried out by the Kenya Police Service with the support of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
“These are just a few criminals with guns who are pulling us back as a region, but we shall not relent until they are flushed out and sanity restored in Laikipia,” Murkomen said.
The CS who was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and his Deputy Gilbert Masengeli and other high-profile security officers, noted that the armed bandits were mainly from the neighbouring counties of Samburu and Isiolo and gained entry into Laikipia, stealing livestock and maiming and killing residents.
“The insecurity witnessed here largely emanates from Samburu East, where bandits from Losos and Labendera have invaded Mukogodo forest, others from Kipsing and Oldonyiro in Isiolo County have also invaded Laikipia,” the CS said.
The move to carry out the operation comes barely two weeks after armed bandits stormed the area and attacked the upper Naibung’a National Police Reservists (NPR) camp wounding several reservists and making away with over 1000 goats and sheep and over 200 herds of cattle from the neighbouring villages.
The attack brought tension to the area, with some of the villagers fleeing the area for fear of more attacks from the bandits, who are believed to be hiding inside the dense Mukogodo forest.
Sumuni Muyele, an elder in the area, narrated to the CS how the attacks had left many locals in fear, with some opting to seek refuge in far areas away from the village.
“If you look around this area, most of the people here are just women and children. The men have fled with their little remaining livestock for fear of more raids by these criminals. We are now helpless,” Muyele told the gathering.
The CS further said that there were plans to increase the number of NPRs in the area by a further 100 in the next one month to boost the current 87 deployed in the area.
Local leaders present, who included Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere, Mwangi Kiunjuri (Laikipia East) and Woman representative Jane Kagiri, called for a total disarmament of communities holding illegal guns as a way of ending the constant insecurity in the area.
“Our people are always vulnerable to attacks by raiders from neighbouring counties who have guns yet they ‘surrendered firearms to authorities’. It’s high time the government disarmed all communities holding illegal weapons,” Korere said.
IG Kanja said that the operation would be ruthless and called on those holding illegal firearms to surrender them before the exercise commences.
“Those with illegal firearms have a few hours to surrender them; otherwise, when the operation commences, our officers will sweep the area clean,” Kanja warned.
By Martin Munyi
