The Ministry of Interior has instructed county commissioners to form multi-agency teams to address the persistent banditry menace and crime plaguing various counties.
The move comes in the wake of escalating cattle rustling cases, particularly in the North Rift areas.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 16, the ministry said the resolution was reached following a meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department of Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo, where concerns were raised regarding the increasing incidents of livestock theft attributed to bandits and cattle rustlers.
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"In response, all county commissioners are directed to form multi-agency teams that will enforce compliance and tackle illegal activities, including the slaughter of donkeys which was banned in 2020 and smuggling of animal products. In collaboration with the State Departments for Livestock, Public Health and the police, our objective is to dismantle criminal syndicates and fortify our food safety and security through stringent regulation and enforcement," the statement read in part.
According to the Ministry, the criminals not only disrupt the livelihoods of pastoral communities but also engage in illicit activities such as the illegal slaughter of donkeys, a practice banned since 2020.
Recent assessments have highlighted escalating risks within the livestock sector, particularly in Rift Valley, Eastern, Central, and Nairobi regions.
During a high-level meeting, PS Dr. @ray_omollo emphasized the ongoing issues of livestock theft linked to bandits and cattle… pic.twitter.com/m17ZpbGvSq— Ministry of Interior | Kenya (@InteriorKE) April 16, 2024
It was directed that the teams, in collaboration with State Departments for Livestock Development, Public Health, and the National Police Service, will lead efforts to dismantle the notorious bandits and criminal syndicates.
Use of military
This comes after Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale's declaration to employ all necessary measures to eradicate the menace of banditry in several counties in Kenya.
Addressing attendees at a fundraiser event in Mt Elgon, Bungoma County on Sunday, April 14, Duale reiterated the commitment of the government to stamp out banditry and criminal gangs in the country.
"The President has put it in our manifesto, that this is the administration that will eradicate banditry and criminal gangs in our country," Duale declared.
"Whatever it takes, whether we use our special forces, whether we use the Kenya Airforce, the NPS and other forces, firmly and decisively will deal with banditry in the seven counties of North Rift. We will treat bandits the way we treat Al Shabaab."
The severity of the issue was also echoed by Kimili MP Didmus Barasa, who highlighted the impact of banditry on residents, particularly on education.
"We cannot accept that out of 290 constituencies, only one or two constituencies shule zimefungwa kwa sababu ya banditry."
Barasa advocated for the public execution of one group of bandits to serve as an example.
"Hawa bandits wanahitaji tu ndege moja ile ya jeshi ile kubwa ya kubeba watu 15, wale wezi wa ng'ombe wakamatwe wawekwe ndani alafu ndege iende juu karibu na mbinguni. Alafu mmoja achukuliwe atupwe nje. Kabla ndege ifike chini, bandits wote utaambiwa mahali wako, mahali wanafanya training, vile wanapanga, vile wanafanya maneno yao," Barasa said.
Loosely translated as;
"These bandits just need that large military plane that can carry 15 people. They should be arrested and put inside, and then the plane should fly high. One of them should be thrown out. Before the plane lands, all the bandits' hideouts will be revealed, where they train, how they plan, how they do their things."
GSU camp in fight against banditry
In March, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki officially opened the Kosile GSU Camp aimed at tackling the rampant banditry orchestrated by livestock thieves in five villages within Baringo North Constituency: Namba, Ng'aratuko, Kagir, Yatya, and Kosile.
This came following a string of attacks that resulted in the deaths of 15 people and the displacement of hundreds more in Saimo Soi, Baringo North.
Furthermore, the CS implemented an overhaul in the deployment strategy of various units operating in the area, including the General Service Unit (GSU), the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), and the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU).
