Nairobi — The government has given the green light for the training of an additional 200 police reservists beginning this Friday to boost security operations in the bandit-prone Baringo County.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced that 100 reservists will be recruited from Baringo North and a similar number from Baringo South.
Baringo is among the six counties that have been mapped as disturbed areas and currently under dusk-to-dawn curfew, but bandits have continued to wreak havoc in the area despite an ongoing multi-agency security operation.
"Training is going to start before Friday, because we believe the security agencies cannot be in every homestead but the National Police Reservists (NPR) can help mitigate in a big way and you have seen in other parts of the country NPR's are helping stabilizes situations in a big way," Kindiki said Wednesday when he appeared before the House to respond to questions on concerns over insecurity in parts of the North Rift.
CS Kindiki said that the government has already set aside funds to facilitate the training of the reservists.
To further enhance security in the area, Kindiki stated that the government is opening up two new security roads in Baringo North which connects Arabal, Mukutani and Laikipia Nature conservancy which have become a bandit hotspot.
Civilian casualties
While responding to questions on the increased civilian deaths as a result of banditry, Kindiki said that government is doing its best to pacify the area.
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"The deaths that have been caused in Samburu and other parts of the country as results of livestock rustling and banditry are regrettable. We have had an operation going on there but we continue to experience incidences of bandit attacks from time to time," Kindiki said.
"We have been able to dominate the permanent abodes where we suspected bandits were hiding whenever they steal livestock."
Kindiki said the ministry had complied to international standards on evacuation of civilian populations from active operational areas.
He however admitted that some criminal elements might have taken advantage of the evacuation window to mix up with the civilian population.
Kindiki attributed the recent attacks to the bandits who evaded security agents during the evacuation but maintained that the security agencies continue to do their best to avert further attacks.
"During that window of notice we had given to be able to ensure we don't have civilian casualties we some of these criminals could have mixed with the population, and because the security forces cannot be everywhere and guard every homestead, they are making sporadic raids, sometimes successful but we have prevented and thwarted and even recovered livestock numerous times," he added.
He added that in as much as they continue to encounter challenges, the government has made progress in the operation to rid the North Rift of the bandits.
