A section of political and community leaders in Elgeyo Marakwet County have appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to classify ongoing bandit attacks in Kerio Valley as terrorism.
Led by Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor Wisely Rotich and elders from the county, the leaders say banditry has claimed many innocent lives.
Statistics shared by the leaders indicate that in the past 5 months, at least 60 people have been killed as a result of bandit attacks.
“No Kenyan has died as a result of terrorism in the last 5 months, but we have lost 62 people in Kerio Valley due to banditry,” said Wisely Rotich.
With banditry classified as terrorism, the Deputy Governor says the government should deploy Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) to Kerio Valley so as to deal with the criminals that have been terrorizing locals for years.
Also Read: Elgeyo Marakwet Deputy Governor Seeks Military Deployment to Restore Sanity in Kerio Valley
He also wants security agencies that will be stationed in the volatile region to be equipped with sophisticated weapons that outmatch those in possession of the bandits.
“More sophisticated weapons including helicopters and highly trained officers and elite squads should help us track these bandits to ensure they are apprehended to face the full force of the law,” added Rotich.
Similar sentiments were shared by the elders from the county.
They say up to 10 lives are lost on weekly basis due to the banditry attacks in Kerio Valley.
“In this county, we have many challenges, we are losing people almost on a weekly basis,” said one of the elders.
“All we want is for the government to enhance security in this area,” added another one.
The elders named Marakwet East areas bordering Tiaty, in Baringo and West Pokot as the most affected with bandit attacks.
Kerio Valley has been facing insecurity challenges for several decades now, emanating from among others cattle rustling, boundaries row, and fighting over resources.
