Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has promised that the government will take the harshest punishment against criminals following the killing of Father Alloys Cheruiyot.

Murkomen made the comment after he visited Cheruiyot’s family in Cheplasgei Village, Kilibwoni Division, Nandi County, on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

“We continue to express our deepest condolences to his parents, Eunice and Joseph Binder; his siblings; friends; the Church; the faithful of St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish; and the entire Diocese of Eldoret for this painful and profoundly sad loss.

“Fr. Alloys was a deeply committed and energetic servant of God who went beyond the call of pastoral duty to foster peace and harmony in the community he faithfully served and loved very much,” Mukomen said in a post on X.

Collective effort against crime

The CS added that the killing of the reverend has come at a time when the Kerio Valley area has witnessed decreased cases of banditry.

“His killing is a big blow and comes at a time when the larger Kerio Valley is pacified following intensified security operations against banditry in the past two years. Save for a few trouble spots, peace has returned to the Valley. Incidents of banditry, for example, have reduced by 50% this year compared to 2024.

“This success is thanks to the collective efforts of our security officers, supportive members of the public, community leaders, and the religious community, like Fr. Alloys.

“Following the intense crackdown on banditry and cattle rustling resulting in numerous arrests, the bandits have retreated to the community where they carry out other criminal activities. Lately, they have resorted to acts of terror to instill fear in the community, security personnel, and peace actors in the hope that the government will scale down the operation,” he added.

He said the criminals have been forced to change tact given the increased surveillance by the government.

“The recent killings of civilians Bonface Ongote, Simon Njaga, and now Fr. Alloys Bett reflect the change of tack by the besieged criminals. The government will, however, not relent in its effort to root out banditry and all acts of criminality in the Kerio Valley region. We mourn those whom we have lost to these senseless acts, but we are confident that our efforts will lead to lasting peace.

“I call on the people of Kerio Valley Sub-County to continue cooperating with the security personnel as we step up our efforts to eliminate this threat.

“We will make sure that we hand the harshest punishment to the perpetrators of these heinous acts. Rest in peace, Father Alloys,” Murkomen concluded.