North Rift herders surrender arms ahead of operation

Residents of the banditry ravaged counties in the North Rift have started to surrender illegal firearms ahead of an operation scheduled to kick off tomorrow when a three-day ultimatum ends.

On Wednesday, herders in Pokot Central Sub-County surrendered three firearms to police following a meeting with elders.

The weapons included a Bren gun recovered from Loyapat village in Turkana South.

The other two firearms are an ARX-200 Barreta, and an FN which were recovered in Amarel in Pokot Central Sub-County.

Yesterday, a contingent of multi-agency security team including the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were setting base in the insecurity hotspots.

Many areas, including those which had been marked as dangerous, remained deserted yesterday.

Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Abdi Hassan said the government will not rest until all bandits wreaking havoc in the region are flushed out and guns in the wrong hands seized.

“We have made a lot of progress so far. With the use of drones, we are confident that the operation will bear fruits. We will leave no bandits hideout untouched. Actually, some of them have started surrendering,” Hassan told People Daily.

Herders in Baragoi have also heeded the government’s directive and surrendered an AK47 Rifle with one magazine loaded with three rounds of ammunition.

This comes ahead of a planned operation to disarm those illegally armed in the area.

On Monday, President William Ruto announced a three-day voluntary surrender of guns and warned  of a massive disarmament exercise if residents fail to heed the directive.

According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, armed bandits in the region have killed more than 100 civilians and 16 police officers in the past six months.

The multi-agency team led by the National Police Service have intensified air and ground patrols at the borders in the troubled region as they seek to ensure that bandits do not flee the area.

Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome landed at the Anti-Stock Theft Unit base in Turkana on Tuesday under tight security, signaling the start of a major operation.

Disturbed and dangerous

Koome, who held a closed-door meeting at the troubled Kainuk area, later left for Lokori in Turkana East sub-county to assess the operation.

“The military is joining the multi-agency team that has been conducting a major security operation in Kainuk near the border of Turkana and West Pokot. The operation will now be extended to all parts declared disturbed and dangerous,” said Koome.

On Friday last week, four General Service Unit (GSU) officers were shot dead following an ambush by armed bandits at Napeimoit in Turkana County.

The bandits also seriously injured seven others, including an OCPD, a GSU and Rapid Deployment Unit commanders. The attackers are said to have stripped the bodies and made away with the officers’ firearms and uniforms.

Two days before, three people were killed when a Lodwar-bound matatu they were travelling in was sprayed with bullets.

The government is rolling out the military-led operation following pressure from local leaders who say it is the only solution to the perennial problem.

The government has termed the current security situation in the North Rift a “national emergency”.

Six banditry-prone counties in the region among them Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu have been classified as “disturbed” and “dangerous”.

Ruto, who ordered the deployment of the KDF, said the security situation prevailing in the North Rift is a national emergency.

“Accordingly, painful and decisive measures must be taken effective immediately. I have today February 13, 2023, declared through a Kenya Gazette Notice, certain areas specified therein within Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu counties as ‘disturbed’ and ‘dangerous’ areas triggering the legal consequences arising therefrom,” the President said in his directive.