Turkana set to receive more police reservists to boost security

The Ministry of Interior is increasing the number of National Police Reservists in Turkana County by 468. The officers will be spread across the areas still facing cattle rustling and banditry attacks.

These include; Turkana East, Parts of Turkana South, Loima, Nadapal area along the Kenyan border with South Sudan and towards the North in areas like Kibish and Torenya.

"As you are aware, last year we did give money to train, equip, and deploy additional NPR for Turkana, but having assessed the situation, we are of the opinion that we need to increase their numbers to cater to the areas that are still having problems," said Interior CS Kithure Kindiki during his tour of the county to assess the progress of the ongoing Operation Maliza Uhalifu on Thursday.

He noted that while the operation has made remarkable progress in the county, a few challenges are lingering hence the need to review the operation and hold a meeting with security leaders as well as area political leaders.

In the last six months, 6,800 cattle had been stolen in the county by criminals suspected to have come from a neighboring county.

Security agencies have helped recover 5,600 of the livestock, including camels, goats, sheep, and cows, as the search for the remaining ones continues.

"We are also going to increase the number of administrative units so that we can have government security infrastructure closer to the people. I have asked the county security team again to supervise a public participation exercise and generate proper minutes working together with political leaders so that we can have more units for this area," he added.

Last year, the ministry gazetted Lokichogio, Suguta, Lokiriama, Aroo, and Lokichogio sub-counties, but some are yet to be operationalized.

"We have already operationalized Lokichogio Sub-County and now we are finalizing the operationalization of Suguta, Aroo, and Lokiriama. I will be back hopefully in the next one or two weeks to make sure we start the process of operationalizing the remaining sub-counties," he said.

The exercise will be done in consultations with political leaders, who will play a key role in financing the establishment of some of the offices using the National Government Constituency Development Funds to allow speedy operationalization of the already gazetted administrative units and in turn enhance security.

The CS said sustainable peace and security in conflict-prone regions of the country require the input and participation of all agencies and stakeholders.

"Political leaders are crucial stakeholders and can be effective catalysts for change and building a culture of peace and a violence-free society," he added.

The progress made in securing the region now paves the way for the start of multi-agency, multistakeholder peace-building, and sustainability programs.

"I ask all stakeholders, including journalists, to be on one side of law enforcement and peace and security and isolate the bandits and criminals. The moment the bandits think we are divided and maybe some people are sympathetic to them, the more they get emboldened," he implored.

Cross-border issues between Kenya and Uganda and Kenya and South Sudan are being solved diplomatically, Kindiki confirmed and called for calm amongst the families of the affected.

The 32 residents of the Orum sub-county in Lodwar pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 20 years in prison at Moroto Government Prison by a Ugandan Military Court martial over illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Ugandan law states that anyone found with weapons or equipment that is a monopoly of the armed forces will be subject to Military Law and will thus face a court martial.

"We are engaged in diplomatic and state-to-state levels to resolve those issues, including the arrest of about 32 Kenyans by Ugandan authorities. The negotiations to have them released are at an advanced stage, and we are expecting that in the next two months or so, the President of Kenya and the President of Uganda will be in this region to have a general resolution on the cross-border problem," said Kindiki.