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President William Ruto yesterday returned to his North Rift backyard where he declared war on bandits wreaking havoc in the region which had seen at least 10 people killed in a week.

The President said the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers who are in Kerio Valley will permanently be stationed in the area

“Those other issues you are hearing are the last kicks of a dying horse. I made a commitment that the people of Kerio Valley will have peace. I will make sure I discharge that commitment. The end to banditry is in sight,” said the President accompanied by his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua.

According to Dr Ruto, the government has already procured modern equipment for security agencies which he said will be in the country next week.

“We will deal with insecurity in Kenya firmly and decisively. Bunduki si ya kuchunga Ng’ombe ama mbuzi bali ni ya askari (a gun is not for looking after cows or goats but it is for security personnel). Bunduki zote rejesha kwa serikali kwa sababu tutaimarisha amani kwa sehemu hii (return all illegal firearms to the government because we will beef up security here),” said the President attended a church service in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

Bandit-prone Kerio Valley

He said a sub-county will be set up in the banditry prone Kerio Valley and Kollowa in the next 90 days to help in coordinating security matters in the region.

President Ruto said the government has already procured Sh37 billion for the modernization of the agriculture sector including the modernization of KCC.

He added that the government will soon modernize the cash transfer programme which he said will see the beneficiaries get their directly to through their phones.

The President said the government’s affordable housing programme was facing a big challenge due to rampant land grabbing and vowed to ensure that his administration will seize all grabbed land.

He said Sh650 million had been set aside for the last mile connectivity in Elgeyo Marakwet county.

Dr Ruto added that an investor has already expressed interest to invest Sh4.8 billion to reopen the stalled Flourspar Mines in the county.

Gachagua on his part renewed the Kenya Kwanza onslaught on the Judiciary and dared Chief Justice Martha Koome to shed light on the number of complaints against the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and those which have already been handled.

“The judiciary is not being sincere. When DCI were carrying out extra Judicial killings, where were you?  You kept silent,” said Gachagua.

Proceeds of corruption

The DP at the same time vowed to present a petition to CJ Koome on a judge he claimed declared his wealth as proceeds of corruption without any evidence.

He at the same time, thanked residents of Elgeyo Marakwet County for voting overwhelmingly for Kenya Kwanza and maintained that those who voted for Kenya Kwanza administration will be taken as a first priority in allocation of resources and government appointments.

“Huwezipanda mahindi na utaraji kuvuna maharagwe (you cannot plant maize and expect to harvest beans),” said Gachagua.

He defended the Kenya Kwanza administration from complaints of over taxation.

“We inherited a lot of debts and we have to repay them. That is why you have been seeing the president going outside the country,” said Gachagua.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot dismissed claims that the Kenya Kwanza administration was intimidating the Judiciary.

“We are just being fair and critical. We are not intimidating the judiciary. They are using their position to frustrate government policies which are beneficial to wananchi,” said Cheruiyot.

“We will stand for the truth for the benefit of the common wananchi,” added the Kericho Senator.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa said the Kenya Kwanza administration is not in the process of fighting the judiciary but corruption among judicial officers.

“The conversation we are having about corruption in the judiciary has nothing to do with the independence of the judiciary. If there is a government which respects the independence of the judiciary, it is the Kenya Kwanza administration. The government has operationalized the judiciary fund and swore six judges who were rejected by the former regime,” said Ichungwa.

“Let me tell her Lordship the Chief Justice that you have hundreds of complaints in your office against judicial officers but you’ve not responded. Corruption and impunity is rife in the judiciary. Let us not shy away from speaking against impunity in the judiciary,” added the Kikuyu MP.

The president also commissioned Iten County Referral Hospital Mother and Baby unit.

He was accompanied by MPs: Adams Kipsanai (Keiyo North), Gideon Kimaiyo (Keiyo South), Timothy Toroitich (Marakwet West), Kangogo Bowen (Marakwet East), Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) Gladys Shollei ( Uasin Gishu County MP) and Caroline Ng’elechei (Elgeyo Marakwet County MP).

At least three family members were on Tuesday killed in a banditry attack in a village in Baringo North Constituency.

Police said the gang targeted the man, his wife, and a child as they were headed to an event in Chemoe area, spraying bullets at them.

“They died on the spot and the gunmen escaped the scene,” police said.

The gang seemed to be on a revenge mission as police reported more injuries in the area. The injured were rushed to the Baringo County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet where they were attended to.

A contingent of multi-agency team was sent to the area to pursue the gang in vain.

Police on the ground said the attackers had escaped by the time they arrived there.

The pursuit for the attackers continued Wednesday with local leaders calling for the deployment of more personnel to address the menace.