Armed bandits defy KDF operations
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Bandits defy KDF operations as they raid Ndikir village in Samburu County stealing more than 30 goats
Bandits defy KDF operations as they raid Ndikir village in Samburu County stealing more than 30 goats.
The militia groups that have ravaged the North Rift region are proving to be a nuisance to the government’s efforts to restore security in the region.
This is after armed bandits attacked Ndikir village, Malaso division in Samburu county defying the ongoing security operation and a night curfew and making away with 30 goats.
The Friday night attack happened even as the government heightens police and KDF deployments in Malaso and selected areas in six counties deemed dangerous and disturbed.
The incident happened the day government deployed KDF in the North Rift region to help the police flush out armed bandits.
This was even as leaders in Baringo county defended president William Ruto’s move to order the deployment of the military in the operation zone.
The militia groups that have ravaged the North Rift have morphed from mere livestock thieves to lethal attackers who have mercilessly butchered locals and police officers at will, elders say.
The Kerio Valley belt which cuts across Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and Turkana has been the worst hit by the series of attacks suspected to be orchestrated by the armed group.
Other counties include Samburu and Laikipia.
Police reports show that more than 200 people have been killed and thousands of livestock stolen in the Kerio Valley belt alone during deadly raids since July 2021.
The military started hunting down the group amidst uproar by community leaders but received backing from a section of regional politicians.
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According to Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, a former Rift Valley Regional Commissioner, dealing with the trigger-happy militia might not be a walk in the park.
“It is bigger than terrorism. Dealing with these trigger-happy bandits will not be a walk in the park. They have mastered their territory,” Natembeya recently warned Kenya Defence Forces and police officers during an interview with Citizen TV, ahead of the joint operation which started on Friday.
He added: “Let them go to the field knowing that they would be dealing with battle-hardened fellows. By the way, if a bandit kills a police sergeant when he goes home, he is promoted to the same rank (within the militia)… He will be at home, waiting for the loot (from junior raiders).”
In addition, bandits are playing hide and seek with the security forces as they enjoy a panoramic view of the plains from their hideouts.
According to local resident accounts, bandits live in the hills, where they have a wide view of the villages.
“Even now as we talk, they are monitoring us and they can strike as they please,” said a local resident.
Also read,
How bandits in hotspots are outsmarting the KDF and police
How bandits humiliated the three police officers before killing them; Survivor
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