Enforce President’s vow to end banditry menace

President William Ruto has once again sent out a stern warning to perpetrators of the perennial bandit menace in the northern region, that their days are numbered. He has put the culprits on notice, vowing that they will face the full force of the law. 

That is welcome; the government cannot be held to ransom by a few people driven by sheer greed to wreak havoc on law-abiding citizens. Already, 20 schools in the North Rift have been closed due to banditry.

In September, the President ordered a crackdown to flush out cattle rustlers who killed eight police officers, a chief and two civilians in Turkana County. The armed raiders have caused murder and mayhem over the years. This time, President Ruto decided to take the message directly to them by visiting one of the most affected areas, Baringo County. Others being terrorised are Samburu, West Pokot and Turkana residents.

Previous warnings have gone unheeded with more attacks carried out in pursuit of illicit gain. What was in the old days seen as a cultural pastime and a means for young men to “collect” animals for bride price has become a deadly criminal enterprise. More than 50 people have been slain and thousands of animals stolen in bandit attacks this year alone.

The President has vowed that the bandits’ financiers will also be targeted. This cattle rustling is an illegal business whose proceeds enrich the masterminds pulling the strings from afar. The markets for the meat from the stolen animals are in Nairobi and other towns.

Those crooks have no qualms about the pain and misery inflicted by the bandits in the villages. It is, however, in these same arid and semi-arid lands that nearly four million Kenyans face starvation following a prolonged drought that has decimated livestock.

Previous warnings have gone unheeded as the criminals, armed with sophisticated automatic weapons such as AK-47 and G3 rifles, continue to strike. Locals should volunteer information to security to enable the arrest of the suspects.

The President has vowed that the government will use all means at its disposal to end the banditry. The people have suffered enough. The State must protect them and their livestock. This time, let peace-loving Kenyans see tangible results.