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Tiaty member of parliament William Kamket has been freed on a Ksh500,000 cash bail. The lawmaker was arrested on Wednesday September 8, 2021 in connection to the growing tension in Ol Moran ward in Laikipia county.

The KANU lawmaker is set to undergo treatment at Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital in Nakuru county, having spent days behind bars.

The vocal politician faced charges related to breach of peace and destruction of property. Kamket was arrested shortly after authorities apprehended ex-ODM MP Matthew Lempurkel. The former MP was also connected to the ongoing skirmishes in Laikipia.

By the time of their arrests, eight people, including three police officers had lost their lives following the banditry attacks.

Speaking after the high-profile arrests, Rift Valley Regional Commander George Natembeya declared war on all bandits and vowed to flush out the politicians bankrolling the skirmishes. Natembeya claimed that some of the sponsors of the skirmishes are highly placed in government agencies.

He noted that the bandits are using sophisticated weapons used by foreign armies in wars.

“While our officers use AK47 and G3 rifles, the bandits in Laikipia use M16s and other heavy machinery usually used by foreign armies who come training in Kenya. We don’t know how they get these heavy weapons,” he stated.