The Inspector General (IG) of Police Japheth Koome has ordered for the hunt on bandits in North Rift region whom he accused of causing economic sabotage by vandalizing critical government infrastructure.
Koome made the call following the latest incident where armed bandits staged a daring attack during Easter Holiday in Baringo North Sub County where they torched classrooms and an administration block at Ngaratuko Primary School in Saimo Soi Ward.
He noted that the daring criminals have also vandalized electricity lines and solar panels of several institutions both in Baringo North and South Sub Counties.
Koome who held a media briefing at Baringo County Police Headquarters in Kabarnet Town vowed to crack the whip on the disgruntled gang of criminals which he stated have now evolved into a lucrative commercial enterprise.
“Enough is enough. These bandits have crossed the line and we are dealing with them ruthlessly,” he said.
Koome who later paid a courtesy call on Governor Benjamin Cheboi in his office emphasized on deployment of more security personnel and sophisticated weapons to curtail the menace that has paralyzed education in several schools in North Rift region.
The IG revealed that more police posts are also being created in the crime hotspots in order to restore relative peace and normalcy in the County where senseless killings and massive displacement of people has heightened in the past three months.
Koome at the same time ordered for extension of Operation Maliza Uhalifu (OMU) to Meru and Isiolo Counties which he observed the bandits have crossed over to.
“We are also targeting to extend the maliza uhalifu operation as a strategy of dealing with these criminals,” he said.
Governor Cheboi who spoke to journalists in camera after hosting the IG and his entourage called for beefing up of security at the border points noting that they were entry points where bandits sneak in lethal weapons from neighboring Countries and aid in movement of stolen livestock.
The Baringo County boss said his administration is at an advanced stage of conducting a livestock branding exercise to ease identification during recoveries undertaken jointly by security agencies, County government and the members of the community.
By Benson Kelio and Joshua Kibet
