The government will provide security escorts to motorists using the Kitale-Lodwar road following increased cases of banditry along the route.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC) Abdi Hassan said that all vehicles using the road will be provided with armed security escort by the police in a bid to tame banditry and restore normalcy along the busy road.
Speaking in Doldol town on Thursday in Laikipia North Sub County where he oversaw relief food distribution and assessed the ongoing operation within Mukogodo forest to flush out armed bandits and cattle rustlers, Hassan added that the escorts would cover the Kainuk to Lami nyeusi stretch where cases of banditry have been on the increase.
“We want to ensure the safety of anyone who uses that road and we are also appealing to motorists to notify authorities in order to get security escorts,” Hassan said.
The remarks by the RC come in the wake of recent banditry attacks along the road where several people have been killed and others injured by the armed gangs.
The most recent attack happened on Monday where three people were shot by suspected bandits who ambushed the vehicles they were travelling in.
On the issue of insecurity in Laikipia County, the RC stated that the ongoing operation to flush out bandits in Mukogodo forest would be intensified to ensure that peace was restored in the area.
“The bandits are using this (Mukogodo) forest as a hideout whenever they raid villages to steal livestock, but I can assure you we shall flush them out completely,” The RC said.
He further added that the ongoing operation was bearing fruits as peace had been restored in most parts of the Rift Valley that had been volatile for years.
The RC was accompanied by Rift Valley Police Commander Tom Odero, Rift Valley head of DCI Francis Wanjau, and Laikipia County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri among other high-profile security officials.
By Martin Munyi
