A security operation against armed bandits in the northern Rift Valley region, who have recently slain dozens of people, has been ordered by Kenya’s President William Ruto.
According to a government announcement, the army will start supporting the police on Wednesday.
It happened at the same time that the interior minister issued a 30-day dusk to dawn curfew starting on Tuesday, describing some areas of six counties in the area as “disturbed and hazardous.”
The security scenario that is now present in the northern Rift Valley Region has been deemed a national emergency by the government. As a result, immediate and meaningful action must be taken, according to a statement from Prof. Kindiki Kithure.
It issued a three-day deadline for anyone in possession of illicit weapons or ammunition to turn them in to the police or face “the full weight of the law.”
According to the interior ministry, over 100 civilians and 16 police personnel have been killed by bandits in the last six months.
Even though there have been high-level security meetings in the areas, the armed gunmen have recently grown more brazen, killing people and robbing livestock. The government has come under fire for not doing enough to address the issue.