NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 10 – Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi says the government is resolute on putting to an end frequent banditry attacks witnessed in Laikipia County even as he announced new measures including plans to set up a new sub-county and a police division.
Matiangi who on Friday toured the region to asses the security situation following a spate of insecurity incidences, fired a warning shot to politicians fanning violence saying security agencies will firmly deal with them.
“We are not going to tolerate anyone this time round. We will beat you up . These jokes where politicians mess around with the lives of our people is unacceptable and we will not allow it anymore. We will beat them,” he said.
The region specifically the Ol Moran area has in recent days witnessed a spate of insecurity incidences with bandits torching houses. Nearly a dozen deaths have been reported in the ensuing conflict.
Tiaty MP William Kamket and former Laikipia North lawmaker Matthew Lempurkel were on Wednesday arrested in connection with the violence but were later freed on cash bail.
While assuring the residents in the troubled region of their safety, Matiangi stressed that the government will not sit and watch as bandits displace residents.
“Nobody this time round is going to be displaced. In this day and age we cannot allow people to live in anxiety,” he said.
He stressed that the government will act decisively the social status of those involved notwithstanding.
“We are not going to play these games again. We need to safeguard the lives of our people, after all those seeking elective posts want to lead live people and not graves,” he said.
To tame the violence in the region, Matiangi announced the creation of police division at Ol Moran with enough officers to patrol and boost security, two additional police stations to be established in the flash point zones, a training base for elite police units to enhance police presence and serve as a buffer zone between Laikipia residents and invaders from neighboring counties.
Other measures include deployment of surveyors to Laikipia to expedite titling process. The government will also review action on lapsed leases or those about to.
Further, Matiangi said the ministry will engage relevant ministries and agencies on the ideal management structure of the Laikipia Conservancy to mitigate its attraction as a conflict hotspot.
Consequently, Matiangi ordered the immediate reopening of schools in the region beginning Monday l, with police officers tasked to guarantee security.
The attacks paralyzed learning of over 2, 000 learners in the area, after several primary and secondary schools were closed over security concerns.
Matiangi gazetted Kirima Sub-County, with, a new administrative jurisdiction, with the aim to enhance security and service delivery in the region.
The National Security Council on Monday declared Laikipia a disturbed region and a security operation area.
The Council further declared a dusk to dawn curfew in the troubled Laikipia Nature Conservancy to facilitate a security operation to flush out bandits.