Help families displaced by war on bandits

More than 2,000 people who moved out of banditry-prone areas in the North Rift counties following a government directive are now leading a life of misery.

On March 12,2023, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki ordered the families to vacate to allow security personnel to carry out raids against bandits, who the government said were hiding in the area and using women and children as human shields.

Weary of constant attacks by the bandits, the citizens hurriedly complied with the order because they believed it was for their own good.

Many believed the operation would only take a few days at most, but weeks later, their miseries have been compounded.

As things stand today, they might as well have jumped from the frying pan into real fire.

The government did not give the residents any notice to vacate. This means the time they were given was too short for them to plan and carry their essentials with them. The government also did not provide them with alternative shelter.

With the onset of rains in most parts of the country, the displaced people in these bandit-hit areas have been left at the mercy of the elements.

They do not have food and basic facilities like toilets, which puts them at risk of contracting waterborne diseases such as cholera.

The gravity of the situation was captured by Samburu County Governor Lati Lelelit, who called on the national government to suspend the security operation to allow people to go back to their homes.

The government has failed the very people it is supposed to protect. As an immediate intervention, the government should provide food, water, tents and blankets to make their lives bearable as the security operation goes on.

Alternatively, as Mr Lelelit suggested, the people should be allowed to go back to their homes until such a time that the government will have come up with a better strategy of defeating the bandits, who continue to dare it despite the ongoing security operation.

We can also borrow a leaf from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who dealt with the bandit menace once and for all.

It is possible to find a long-lasting solution to the menace and assure North Rift and northern Kenya residents of their security and economic progress.

Eric Odhiambo, Kisumu

Bandits are still killing more Kenyans, including children. This needs to be brought to an end.

The government has tried its best to combat these criminals but they are yet to be tamed.

I’d like to urge the police and the Kenya Defence Forces troops to change tactics to root out these rogue individuals and restore calm in the North Rift.

Owuor C. Owino, Kilifi