Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate who is also the Deputy President William Ruto has pledged to tackle Kerio Valley insecurity.
DP Ruto says his administration will do everything to restore peace in the region that has faced a series of bandit attacks for several years now.
Speaking during a series on rallies in the area on Monday, July 25, 2022, the second in command said among the measures he will take to address the insecurity challenge is setting up an elite security camp in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
DP Ruto notes his pledge to address the matter in pegged on the fact that security is a basic human right.
“We will do whatever it takes — including setting up an elite security camp in Elgeyo Marakwet — to tackle the insecurity menace in Kerio Valley because security is a basic human right,” the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party leader said in a tweet.
Following increased bandit attacks and killings of innocent citizens, political leaders in the region have for a while now been calling for deployment of the military to deal with the criminals.
Kerio Valley killings
The calls have to date yet to be listened to with the government only conducting an operation in the region.
Currently, there is an ongoing operation in the the region to flush out bandits.
The Interior and National Coordination Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i had also imposed a dust to dawn curfew in the area.
Statistics from multiple human rights organizations within the North Rift region noted that for the last six months, at least 100 people had been killed as a result of banditry.
Kerio Valley region lies within Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Baringo counties.
Communities within the region have for long been fighting over among others resources and boundaries.
