The government has beefed up security in the Nyanza region ahead of the Christmas festivities.
Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC) Flora Mworoa has said additional police officers have been deployed to maintain peace and security as local and international visitors are expected in the area during the celebrations.
The regional security team, she added, had mapped out all the hotspots, adding that adequate measures have been put in place to deal with runaway crime which is common during the festive season.
“We have deployed more security personnel, patrol vehicles, and equipment to help in addressing insecurity. This will help us to address insecurity in Sondu, Trans Mara, Kuria, and Kisumu Central areas where we have had concerns,’’ she said.
Speaking during an interview at a local FM radio station, Mworoa said police officers have also enhanced patrols in the region to ensure that residents and revelers are protected during the festive season.
She lauded the peaceful coexistence between different communities in the area calling for collaboration with security agencies.
Her office, she said, was working closely with the county governments to address emerging security challenges in the region.
The RC pointed out the recent flare-ups at Sondu along the Kisumu-Kericho border, adding that engagements between the leadership of the two counties and members of the community were on course to find a long-lasting solution to the problem.
The multisectoral approach, he said, has begun to bear fruits with the smooth administration of national examinations at the volatile border, a testament that long-lasting peace can be achieved in the area.
Mworoa called for the strengthening of community policing in the region to tackle emerging security threats adding that security officers found colluding with criminals shall be dealt with following the law.
“Most of our security officers are carrying out their work professionally, but there are a few rogue ones who we will deal with following the law,’’ she said.
The RC asked motorists to drive carefully and observe traffic rules to curb accidents during the festive season.
Parents, she added, must be on the lookout for their children during the festivities to ensure that they don’t fall into bad company.
This, she said, was the only solution to the rising teenage pregnancies in the region adding that the government will deal amicably with all child offenders in the area.
“We shall deal accordingly with those who defile our children. I urge victims not to spare or protect the child offenders even if they are your relatives,’’ she said.
“One of the challenges we encounter is that some people make local arrangements by being paid as little as Sh. 20,000 to prevent arrests and court prosecutions,’’ Mworoa added.
By Rolex Omondi
