Norkela resident Samuel Lekamparish stands pensive near his home, looking out over the southern horizon of the Longewang Valley in western Samburu.
His once peaceful village has become a battleground between bandits and security forces, with gunshots echoing every day.
“Everything changed completely and the family was destroyed,” Lecamparish says, reflecting on the events of the past year.
He remembers the fateful night when a group of bandits attacked his house and left a trail of destruction.
Brazen thief turns local school into home for two wives: Kindiki
The bandits drove away nearly 83 cows in the Pula Valley in the region.
The next day, the neighbor's son, Andrew Kamaine, was killed and the entire village was left in ruins.
“It seems they have launched two attacks and driven away huge numbers of livestock. I live in extreme poverty and there is no one to help me,” he said. say.
Lekamparis said the incident took place a few kilometers away from where the Norkela military operations camp is located.
Once a peaceful community, it now bears the scars of frequent attacks by bandits.
The situation in Samburu district is so dire that the government announced an intensive security operation to combat banditry a year ago.
The operation has been expanded to five counties marked as 'dangerous and disturbing' to curb the activities of hardened bandits.
Bandit-prone areas include Tandare Valley and Mukogodo Forest in Baringo District, Kamwenje, Losos, Kiape Hills in Laikipia, Rutungai-Longewang, Lolmolok, Pura Valley, Suguta, Maratho from Maruti to Rutungai in Samburu District, and Nadome. and Kamur. Turkana and Turkwel escarpments in West Pokot District.
On October 7, 2019, a police officer patrols a classroom during classes at Kapindasum Elementary School in Baringo South.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
But as the year unfolds, Kenya's Kwanzaa regime finds itself facing a mix of successes and failures in its fight against a rebellious insurgency that continues to wreak havoc in the volatile region. .
Despite stepped-up security operations, bandits have escalated their terrorist attacks in the chaotic western Samburu region, often in full view of police and military personnel.
More than 50 people have been killed in the region since February last year, even after military-backed attacks were launched.
The latest incidents include the brutal murder of Emmanuel Lepartelegu, who was killed by armed robbers while tending his herd of cattle in the Lukik-Sapki district.
Security forces, including police and military personnel, continue to face difficult challenges as they confront armed groups sheltering in the difficult terrain of western Samburu.
The attackers hide in deep bushes and caves, making it difficult for law enforcement to track them effectively.
Rocky hills, broken volcanic rocks, thorny shrubs, and cacti create a difficult environment for security operations.
In response to these challenges, the government reinstated the National Police Reserve (NPR) in Samburu and recruited over 600 new police reservists from December 2022.
CS Kindiki explains why he wears combat uniform
The NPR is indigenous to the area and has played an important role as a quick response force whenever banditry attacks.
Familiar with the rugged terrain, they work closely with other security forces to restore sanity to hard-hit areas.
In Baragoi, the government deployed the Special Operations Group (SOG), an elite military force employing cutting-edge technology to combat banditry.
SOG used high-tech surveillance, including special drones equipped with night vision cameras, to monitor the bandits' activities.
This technology has helped security forces track and locate bandits even in caves and canyons.
The Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) was used to confront armed bandits and provided all-terrain capability with an automatic 360-degree rotating fire design.
He acknowledged the challenges, but noted that significant progress had been made in curbing violent banditry activities in key hideouts.
“In Baragoi, a notorious crime hotbed, banditry in large parts of Samburu County has been contained with great success,” Kindiki said.
On March 14, 2023, National Police Reserve members escort students from Kapindasum Primary School in Arabalu, Baringo County, to Kemolongion Trading Center to board a bus to head home after the half-term break.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
The government continues to monitor the successes and challenges of ongoing security operations in all troubled counties in the region.
The plan aims to address shortcomings in ongoing programs aimed at eradicating the fear of armed cattle drives.
The CS also revealed that the government is seeking to adopt a “comprehensive” multi-agency strategy to quell armed banditry in the North Rift region.
The security operation is expected to be expanded to four more districts in the North-Eastern region this year.
He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle issues such as cattle rustling, highway robbery and human trafficking.
“The persistent security threats posed by livestock rustlers, highway robbers, and human and drug traffickers require a comprehensive multi-agency eradication strategy,” Kindiki said.
Ongoing efforts include strategic meetings with senior security managers in the North Rift and Upper North Eastern regions.
These meetings are aimed at laying the foundation for pacifying the troubled areas of Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru North, Baringo, Samburu and Turkana counties.
“Criminals have taken advantage of the rugged terrain, poor infrastructure and social vulnerability to launch attacks against some residents of the Northern Rift Valley and Upper Eastern regions,” Kindiki said.
“This is a culture that the government is determined to suppress this year.”
A police officer in Rutungai Valley in western Samburu. Armed bandits have established impregnable territory inside the valley, storing stolen livestock.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Ondiekination Media Group
Earlier, the government had mapped dangerous gorges, gorges, cliffs and hills where bandits operate in Baringo, Samburu, Laikipia, West Pokot and Turkana counties.
Although challenges remain, the government's strategy includes continued evaluation and aims for a sustainable program to eliminate the region's long-standing armed robbery problem.
This security operation represents a comprehensive multi-agency approach to address the root causes of insecurity and bring lasting stability to affected areas.
Residents now hope that the area can experience lasting peace and security and rebuild their lives and communities free from the constant threat of armed banditry.
