Two Arrested, 23 Guns Recovered In Rift Valley in the ongoing operation to weed out Bandits

Two bandits have been arrested and 23 firearms recovered in Samburu and Turkana counties, following the ongoing operation to weed out  bandits in the Rift Valley region.

The Regional Commissioner Rift Valley Abdi Hassan while addressing media on Thursday, affirmed that the national police service has braced for the exercise of restoring peace in the region after the expiry of the three-day amnesty period for the illegal firearms holders to surrender.

He however said the department is still open to receiving firearms from those still willing to yield.

“We are giving them an opportunity to surrender voluntarily ,not to force the government to go into the other phase which might not be palatable to them”,said Hassan.

The bandits attempted a raid on police officers at Kainuk in Turkana south.

Previous exercises have witnessed the police force carry out brutality on law-abiding citizens mistaken for bandits.The Rift Valley RC has however assured the exercise will be according to the law.

“we will go only after criminals,after bandits,law abiding citizens will not be affected,will not be targeted ,will not be harassed,”he said.

Bandits and cattle rustlers have continued to wreak havoc in the region. Kenyan government forces launched an operation  to crack down on chronic violence in the Rift Valley propagated by disputes  between communities over grazing land and livestock ,a situation that has been worsened by the ongoing drought.

Communities in Baringo, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Laikipia and Turkana have been stealing animals from each other, leading to communal tensions and conflict.

It has been reported in the past that the bandits have been able to access firearms from neighboring countries in conflict such as South Sudan where local communities sell the guns for food, as well as receiving aid from politicians and crook leaders and business people who support rustling.

The operation kicked off last Friday and is set to restore peace in the zones prone to banditry attacks.