Nairobi — The government will Friday announce new measures it will take to step up its campaign against banditry in parts of the North Rift.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced Thursday that the new measures will mark the second phase of the ongoing security operations in the six counties affected by the banditry menace.
Kindiki said the move has been informed by what he described as continued theatrics by criminals whom Kindiki says continue to exhibit high level of impunity.
"We will be speaking from the combat zone and we will say what next, and we may be making certain pronouncements in the public interest so that we continue carrying the goodwill and the support of all peace loving law abiding people of Kenya," he said.
Kindiki stated that there has been some progress in the 20 days since the start of the multi-agency security operation
The Interior CS noted that more than 140 weapons have been recovered to date even as he assured the public that the government will do whatever it takes to eradicate banditry in the country.
"We will get to the root of this problem of heartless murders by bloodthirsty terrorists posing as cattle thieves. I can also confirm that the operation will succeed," he said.
Military intervention
On March 8, legislators drawn from pastoralist communities asked President William Ruto to invoke Article 241(3) of the Constitution and have the military lead the operation to flush out bandits in the North Rift region.
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Led by Saku Member of Parliament Dido Rasso, they described the banditry menace as untenable with the police-led operation yielding low results.
Article 241 (3) (c) provides that Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops may be deployed to restore peace in any part of Kenya affected by unrest or instability only with the approval of the National Assembly.
"Parliament must be approached as long as it is reasonably possible for us as MPs to give the military the go ahead to discharge their duties to protect properties and livelihood," said Rasso.
Given the recent spate of killings by the bandits, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei further called on President Ruto to personally take charge of the situation.
"The people handling the situation no longer have the capacity and we are ready as Parliament this afternoon to receive the application and within ten minutes process the approval," he said.
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandagor also called for the arrest of political leaders fueling banditry in the region.
