The National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki wants an extension of security operations from six Counties in North Rift Valley to Marsabit, Isiolo, and Meru respectively beginning as from next year.
CS Kindiki said the operation, ‘Maliza Uhalifu’ will target a notorious corridor along Samburu East, Marsabit, Isiolo, and Meru where disreputable criminals had been stealing animals and killing uniformed officers in pursuit of the culprits.
Kindiki urged the Regional Commissioner for Rift Valley Abdi Hassan and his counterpart from Eastern Paul Rotich.He said civilians within the operation areas will have to vacate the locality as the criminals either surrender or face the consequences.He further said the war against narcotics, terrorism, and cattle rustling had been complicated owing to the fact that the country had not been able to depoliticize security matters for ages.
“Mixing security matters with politics in the country is a threat to the future of the country,” Kindiki said adding that the government was ready to delink security from politics at all costs for the country to be stable.on Christmas Day a mission to recover stolen cows turned tragic when a police officer was shot and killed in a shootout with bandits in Acher’s post area, Samburu County.
The incident happened as a team of police officers tried to recover a herd of cattle that had been stolen from Mutuati area, Meru County, police said.Constable Victor Kosgey of General Service Unit died on the spot after being struck in the head with a high caliber bullet.
His colleagues said the bullet entered upper side of his eye and burst his rear skull killing him.Police said the bandits who struck as the team was driving off with some of the recovered animals engaged them in a shootout that lasted more than two hours. On December 29, the cows were recovered and handed over to the security agencies at Posta, Laikipia County for further delivery to the owners at an event presided over by Kindiki.
This is after four of the bandits had been killed in a shootout.
Kindiki said cattle rustling in Northern Kenya has over the years become an organised criminal enterprise responsible for deaths, destitution and displacement.To dismantle the infrastructure of cattle rustlers and facilitators he said, the government is sustaining the war on banditry and its perpetrators, enablers, benefactors and beneficiaries by making banditry a painful venture, ensuring recovery of stolen livestock and rewarding facilitators of recoveries.
He also rewarded security officers, local leaders and youth whose collaborative efforts realised the recovery.
He said going forward, the government through the Interior Ministry will run a program to financially reward gallant officers and members of the public whose efforts will result in the arrest of the key planners, executors and enablers of banditry whose profiles will be published countrywide in the new year.