Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has hailed the ongoing security operation to liberate six counties in the North Rift Valley region from the grip of bandits and armed criminals as great success so far.
Kindiki said Saturday the multi-agency security team spearheading the operation has flushed out the bandits from the gorges, valleys, escarpments, and hills that they had turned into their hideouts.
He spoke when he visited the Joint National Police Service (NPS) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Operation Maliza Uhalifu Command Centre at Chemolingot in Baringo County.
The Interior CS stated that the government is committed to getting rid of the bandits wreaking havoc in the North Rift adding that it will do whatever it takes to end the menace that has affected the region for decades.
"We will not relent in the war against banditry. We will deploy enough security officers, equipment, and skills to defeat these criminals. And our officers from the KDF and National Police Service are working as a team, driven by the sole goal of liberating our people from criminals," Kindiki said.
He commended the security officers in the front line for their dedication, diligence, and commitment in the ongoing operation.
Other than silencing the guns, neutralizing the armed criminals and pacifying the bandit-prone areas, the CS said the government would also establish development projects in the region to open up the region for investments, agriculture and tourism.
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Government in control
CS Kindiki who was accompanied by top ministry officials met senior security officers to review the operation's progress of the joint security operation.
During his appearance during Senate's inaugural question time on Wednesday, Kindiki told Senators security forces had managed to dominate the bandit-prone North Rift Valley region.
He said security forces had flushed out armed criminals from the ravines, gorges, escarpments and hills that bandits had for years turned into their hideouts.
The recovered areas will remain under the guard of multi-agency security officers, Kindiki stated.
Kindiki had on April 12 announced government plans to double security forces in bandit-prone areas in scaled up efforts to tame banditry.
The Interior CS, when he appeared before the National Assembly for question time, said that despite the challenges they continue to experience in the fight against banditry, significant stock recoveries had been made.
