The government is going to recruit more National Police Reservists (NPRs) in an effort to beef up security in areas prone to cattle rustling, Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding has said.
Mr Omoding said the government has beefed up security in the area but added that more Reservists would be hired to complement the security establishment in Isiolo and neighbouring counties.
The County Chairman for Security Intelligence team assured area people of security and called upon them to make available useful information that would lead to arrest of criminals with ease.
He said that all the camels that were stolen from Burat Ward near Isiolo town had been recovered. He added that the 19 cattle that rustlers had stolen at Odha area were also recovered by the security officers.
“If only the residents could learn to report cattle rustling attacks early enough, the security forces would be responding in time and eliminate this crime,” Mr Omoding said.
He said that Isiolo had 134 NPRs and the government has approved an addition of more to cover sites used by criminals to sneak in and steal animals.
The CC said that some NPRs would be disarmed since they were implicated in conducting illegal businesses using the government firearms while others were unlawfully engaged by tycoons in their homes and other premises.
Mr Omoding said that the government would use all resources at its disposal to flush out criminals from their hide outs adding that dealing with them will entail corroborating security intelligence with tips provided by Wananchi.
“We have mapped out all areas used by the criminals and the NPRs, conservancies’ guards and regular police would be operating from one zone under the command of the Officer Commanding Police Station,” said Mr Omoding.
By Abduba Mamo
