• Kithure Kindiki has issued clear directives to security officers to pursue, apprehend, and prosecute all individuals involved in the rising banditry cases
• Kindiki emphasised security officers’ fundamental right to self-defense in the face of danger
• He also issued a stern warning to the perpetrators of banditry attacks
Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki has issued clear directives to security officers to pursue, apprehend, and prosecute all individuals involved in the rising banditry cases in Baringo County.
Photo; Twitter
Kindiki emphasised security officers’ fundamental right to self-defense in the face of danger, reinforcing the State’s commitment to protecting those who lawfully use their assigned firearms to maintain law and order.
The CS reiterated a statement that he made on October 15 in Meru County: “This is to security officers; if your lives are threatened by cattle rustlers, you are instructed to use your firearms to protect yourselves before they take you down,” the CS stated.
“The government is committed to defending security officers who use their assigned weapons in accordance with the law to safeguard the lives and property of our citizens.”
He also issued a stern warning to the perpetrators of banditry attacks, emphasising the government’s unwavering commitment to combating this threat and restoring long-term peace in the region.
During a comprehensive security assessment on Tuesday, October 31, Kindiki met with the Rift Valley Regional security team, under the leadership of Regional Commander (RC) Abdi Hassan, and the Baringo County Security and Intelligence Committees to assess the ongoing Maliza Uhalifu Operation in the six North Rift Valley counties, targeting bandits and armed criminals.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Police Service (NPS) deployed multi-agency troops into bandit-prone areas of the North Rift earlier this year, with the goal of intensifying patrols in the general areas of Naudo, Akwichatis, Silale, and Paka Hills in Baringo County.
Kindiki also ordered that anyone suspected of assisting, financing, or planning banditry attacks, including political leaders, be questioned and provide statements to the police.
