Kindiki Gives Residents Living In These North Rift Areas 24-Hr Deadline [LIST]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has ordered all civilians living in specific banditry-prone areas declared as scenes of crime to vacate in the next 24 hours.

In a statement on Sunday, March 12, the CS cautioned that anyone who would be found in those areas come Monday, March 13, 2023, would be treated as a bandit, or a suspect aiding and abetting banditry.

He further indicated that the government has been made to step up security operations in the areas owing to the continued attempted attack on the security officers and their equipment by the bandits.

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki using a pair of binoculars on March 12, 2023. /KITHURE KINDIKI

"In the last 25 days, we have engaged in meticulous intelligence gathering to establish the identity, stature and sophistication of the network perpetuating the orgy of violence in this Northern part of our Country.

“The specified spaces are hereby declared scenes of crime and any person found therein from Monday, March 13, 2023, at 0830 hours will be treated as a suspect of armed banditry, or as a suspect of aiding and abetting banditry, or an accessory after the fact. Everyone must get out,” Kindiki said.

The areas flagged are Korkor hills, Tandare Valley, Silale in Baringo, Mukogodo, Kamwenje Lekuruki, Losos, Kiape Seku Valley, and Laikipia.

Other areas include Tungai Longewan, Nasur, Lochokia, Lekadar escarpments, Suguta Valley, and Martin to Tungai-Samburu; and Kabelbok Kamur Nadome Turkwel Escarpments in Turkana.

The CS added that the government has identified leaders and politicians in charge of the bandit groups whom they would pursue in the coming days.

“Intelligence has led us to identify a handful of senior commanders in charge of the bandit network as well as their spiritual leaders, political patrons and the commercial beneficiaries of bandit gangs. We know who they are, where they are and how they are operating,” said Kindiki.

He added," In a short while, we shall be circulating the names and photographs of these dark pillars of the evil network that is banditry." 

The strongly-worded statement further revealed that in the last seven months, over 135 Kenyans including 20 security officers had been killed by bandits.

He added that security agencies have managed to identify the terrain of the areas they have been deployed to and would soon begin to take on the bandits in whatever environment.

"We have found a way around the bad terrain. Therefore, security agencies will now onwards be taking the war to the bandits. We shall extract them from any forest, cave, gorge, ravine or escarpment within the soil of the Republic of Kenya.

"In the days and months ahead, we shall collect every illegal gun, every weapon in the hands of criminals, whether by voluntary surrender or by force," he went on.

He further added that a spiritual leader who has been providing prophetic support to the bandits has been apprehended in a sting operation.

In addition, the CS closed off the airspace over the specific areas, banning low-altitude aircraft from flying over the areas apart from those involved in the security operation.

"Apart from aircraft taking part in the ongoing security operation, low altitude overflight by any other aircraft over any of therefore specified areas is hereby BANNED with effect from Monday, March 13, 2023, until further notice," Kindiki stated. 

A soldier overlooking a terrain. /FACEBOOK.MINISTRY OF INTERIOR