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Vehicles plying Kitale-Lodwar route to get police escort, govt says
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan (second from left) when he visited Doldol Town, Laikipia County to assess multi-agency operation along the boundary of Mukogodo Forest on April 13, 2023.
Vehicles plying the Kitale-Lodwar highway will now be escorted by police following an increase in banditry along the route.
Making the announcement on Thursday, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan said bandits in the North Rift region appear to have changed their modus operandi and are now targeting areas that were previously perceived as peaceful.
"Bandits have moved to areas that were calm and peaceful. For instance, there are bandits operating along the Kitale-Lodwar road, attacking motorists. We have put them on notice and from today, vehicles plying that route will be escorted by security officers," Mr Hassan said.
He said motorists would be escorted to and from Lami Nyeusi to Kainuk and urged travellers using the road to cooperate with security officers.
Mr Hassan, who was speaking in Doldol town, Laikipia County, reassured Kenyans in the six insecure counties that security officers were on top of things. This is despite several deadly attacks in parts of Baringo, Samburu and Turkana counties that gave the impression that the multi-agency security team deployed to track down the criminals had been outwitted.
"As security officers, we will not give the bandits room to spread terror. We will hunt them down, smoke them out of their hideouts and deal with them accordingly. I urge all leaders and citizens to cooperate with the relevant authorities so that we can eradicate banditry and cattle rustling in the region once and for all," the administrator said.
Disturbed and dangerous
In parts of Laikipia County, there have been concerns about areas bordering Mukogodo Forest, an area declared 'disturbed and dangerous', with locals claiming an increase in house raids by cattle rustlers despite the ongoing security operation.
Last week, more than 300 residents of the area marched to the Laikipia County Commissioner's office in Nanyuki to protest against increasing cases of cattle rustling by armed criminals suspected of operating out of Mukogodo Forest.
The protest march, led by Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere and several county representatives, came two days after a raid on the homestead of the former Speaker of the National Assembly in which a herder was shot dead before the criminals drove off with 15 camels.
During his visit to Laikipia in the company of Nakuru's top security officer, Mr Hassan admitted that there were some challenges in dealing with cattle rustling by bandits operating in Mukogodo Forest, citing this as the reason he decided to engage the local security team.
"We held a security meeting here with our local colleagues and agreed on strategies to rid the forest of criminals hiding in the forest. Security patrols in Doldol and surrounding areas will be increased," said Mr Hassan.
He was accompanied by Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Tom Odero, his DCI counterpart Francis Wanjau and members of the Laikipia security committee led by County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri.