The Inspector General (IG) of police, Japhet Koome, has issued a stern caution to criminals engaging in unlawful activities across the nation. Koome’s message, conveyed in a press release on Tuesday, serves as a direct warning to bandits, urging them to halt their violent actions or confront the legal consequences.
“Let me be clear, that whether the resurgence of these attacks is attributed to retaliations among members of communities, or collaboration among communities to attack members of other communities, or be they targeted attacks on security personnel and installations, expansionist tendencies, or the commercialisation of banditry as the case has been, my message to the bandits is one: stop or face the full force of the law,” reads the statement in part.
The Inspector General’s statement follows a recent uptick in banditry across Baringo, Isiolo, Samburu, and Meru Counties this year. Highlighting the seriousness of the situation, the IG emphasized that the National Police Service (NPS) has implemented strategies to address the escalating banditry, particularly in the North Rift region.
Among them, Koome said, is a multi-agency command center for Isiolo, Meru, Laikipia, and Samburu and deployement of police officers and sophisticated equipment.
“Besides the Chemolingot Multi-Agency Operation Centre, we have now established a multi-agency command center for Isiolo, Meru, Laikipia, and Samburu, deployed additional new sophisticated equipment, and Formed Police Units in the affected areas, including Loruk and Mukogodo to beef up the ongoing Operation Maliza Uhalifu North Rift,” he said.
Koome added that the military and National Police Reservists (NPR) will continue to support NPS with the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) having established additional camps in Nolkera and Kurkur along the Malaso belt.
He praised the dedication of police officers who persist in their service to the nation, encouraging them to carry out their duties without hesitation or coercion. Banditry has surged in Kenya, particularly in the North Rift region, resulting in numerous casualties among civilians and security personnel.
