'Operation Maliza Uhalifu' in Isiolo and Marsabit

Meru,

Friday, December 15, 2023,

KNA by Dickson Mwiti

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Professor Kithure Kindiki has announced plans to gazette some parts of Isiolo, Marsabit, and Samburu Counties as operation zones to contain cattle rustling in the troubled area.

Speaking during the graduation of 140 National Police Reservists (NPR) at Ndumuru in Igembe North, Meru County, the CS said he will gazette these areas by next week before embarking on major security mop up to weed out cattle rustlers who have wreaked havoc in parts of Nyambene region.

He said the cattle rustling menace was persistent and has been rampant in these areas and as a result, his ministry will take the same measures they were using in other similar areas in the country to end the culture of stealing animals as well as killing innocent Kenyans.

"The issue of cattle rustling has been a longstanding issue for the last 40 years affecting 14 Counties in the republic. When President William Ruto was campaigning he promised to end this issue completely during his reign."

"For the time we have been in office we have tried to deal with these things and though we have not succeeded, we have put a foundation that if we build on it we will eradicate the menace," said Professor Kindiki.

This year in February, he added, we announced security operations in Samburu, West Pokot, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and Laikipia Counties which were largely affected. We have had this operation since that time and we took more than 3000 police officers, NPR, and the Kenya Defence Forces we have reduced the issue by 70 percent but still we have a journey to go.

He called on the residents to cooperate with security officers if at they wanted the exercise to succeed.

"This year we have started a journey to liberate our places that were raided by banditry. While 2023 was about flipping the issue of cattle rustling, 2024 will be sustaining the victory against livestock rustlers and bandits," said Mr Kindiki.

He said the NPR graduands will stay in a camp, where the Interior Ministry will provide resources and the Inspector General will work with Regional Commanders and Officers Commanding Stations to ensure proper command and control to work in synchrony with police service to stop the banditry menace once and for all.

"The Inspector General will direct how operations will be led in case of insecurity issues, and NPR will join other security officers for a short time to curb insecurity issues," said Professor Kindiki.

He said the Government has ordered more security equipment including vehicles under the police equipment modernization program some of which will be taken to the Nyambene region.

He congratulated the 140 NPRs and wished them well in their duty to help police and other security officers enhance security to deal with banditry in the region.

Courtesy; KNA