Heavily armed police officer PHOTO|NATION

To deal with marauding bandits who have continued to wreak havoc in the Kerio valley, the government has dispatched a special police squad to stabilize the situation.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i, Inspector General (IG) of Police Hillary Mutyambai, Rift Valley regional commissioner Maalim Mohamed, inspected the volatile region on Wednesday and decided that the region will be subjected to a crackdown.

“A crack operation will take place in the region for the next 21 days and it will complement the ongoing curfew and anyone found outside is a criminal. The unit will comb villages and mop up guns. We will do what we must and it won’t be easy but we are prepared to suffer whatever challenges because we are determined at ensuring the people of Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and West Pokot are safe,” said Dr Matiang’i.

The CS also accused certain administrators in the dangerous region of napping on their duties, jeopardizing attempts to restore order, adding that all chiefs in Tiaty and other districts in the area will be probed.

CS Matiang’i also met with the relatives and parents of the three children who were killed by bandits and buried yesterday and conveyed the government’s condolences.