Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is expected to visit the Joint National Police Service (NPS) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Operation Maliza Uhalifu Command Centre at Chemolingot, Tiaty in Baringo County.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration (MINA) said Kindiki will also visit officers in the frontline battling bandits at the intersection of Marakwet East and Tiaty on Saturday.
MINA added the Operation Commander, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Administration) Noor Gabow will accompany Kindiki.
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.
"The challenge is still there, and it did not start last year but in 1997. We are doing everything possible to ensure it gets to a final end. We appeal for patience and we know we will get rounded once we are done," Kindiki told the House.
Despite the ongoing operation in the North Rift, some parts including Samburu, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, have continued to witness recurrent attacks.
Evacuation of civilians
On March 13, Kindiki ordered the immediate vacation of residents living in 27 gorges, escarpments, caves, ravines, hills, and forests as a security forces moved in to expel bandits.
Kindiki subsequently gave the residents in the affected areas from Baringo, Laikipia, Samburu, West Pokot, and Turkana Counties 24 hours to immediately evacuate.
"I, therefore, declare these areas as scenes of crime, and we will treat any person found therein as a suspect of armed banditry, or as a suspect of aiding and abetting banditry, or as an accessory after the fact. Everyone must evacuate immediately," Kindiki ordered at the time.
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The affected areas in Baringo included Korkoron Hills, Tandare Valley and Silale Gorges.
In Laikipia, Kindiki said disturbed areas included Mukogodo Forest, Kamwenje, Warero and Ndonyoriwo, Lekuruki Hills, Losos, and Kiape Caves, and Sieku Valley
In Samburu, government listed Ltungai Conservancy, Longewan, Nasuur, Lochokia and Lekadaar Escarpments; Lolmolok Caves, Pura Valley, Malaso Escarpment and Suguta Valley.
The government also banned low-altitude aircrafts over the disturbed areas as it intensified a multi-agency operation including the military to crash banditry.
The freezing of flights over bandit-prone areas came amid reports that some powerful shadowy figures had been using choppers to ferry weapons and ammunition and in some instances fighters
