Residents In 7 More Areas Ordered To Vacate As Kindiki Reviews Bandit Order

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki has reviewed a vacation order previously issued to all civilians living in specific banditry-prone areas declared as scenes of crime.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on Monday, March 13, the CS added seven more areas to the vacation order issued on Sunday, March 12 while excluding others. 

"The orders issued yesterday at Malaso in Samburu County, requiring members of the public to vacate remote and inaccessible gorges, escarpments, caves, ravines, hills and forests harbouring dangerously armed criminals is hereby reviewed as follows," stated Kindiki in part.

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

Kapelbok, Nakwamoru, Lobokat, Lokoron, the Turkwell Escarpment and Ombollion areas within Turkana and West Pokot Counties have been excluded from the orders.

"Members of the public are advised to continue with their daily activities, subject to the security measures Gazetted on February 13, 2023, where applicable," added the statement.

However, Ng’elecha Hills and Gorges, Ramacha and Losokoni Caves, Laramoru Gorges, Karau Hills, Noosidan Escarpment, Rugus Caves and the Amaya Gorges at the interface of Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu Counties have been included in the orders.

Kindiki gave residents in the aforementioned areas until Tuesday, March 14 at 7.30 pm to vacate, warning that anyone found in the spaces afterwards would be treated as a bandit, or a suspect aiding and abetting banditry.

"Members of the public should vacate these areas within 24 hours commencing today 13th March 2023 1930 hours. Any member of the public found in the spaces specified in this paragraph after Tuesday 14th March 2023 1930 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," said Kindiki.

He had on March 12 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.

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.