Speaking on Thursday, November 7, 2024, during his maiden media brief as DP, Kindiki boasted of the war against bandits as part of his legacy at the Ministry of Interior.
Kindiki highlighted the strategy the government employed to fight bandits when he assumed office as the Interior CS when President William Ruto appointed his first Cabinet after he assumed office in 2022.
He stated that over 135 innocent Kenyans, including 20 security officers had been killed by marauding bandits in parts of Baringo, Laikipia, Samburu, Turkana, West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties within six months, by the end of 2022, leading to closure of schools and displacement of families.
“By the end of 2022, over 135 innocent Kenyans, including 20 security officers had been killed by marauding bandits in parts of Baringo, Laikipia, Samburu, Turkana, West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties within a span of 6 months. During the same period, dozens of schools were closed, thousands of families displaced and public amenities destroyed by bandit gangs, some of whom converted school classrooms into permanent dormitories for bandit families,” Kindiki stated.
Kindiki went ahead to state that a police-led security operation with the support of the military was declared on February 13, 2023, to fight the bandits.
Kindiki termed as a game-changer the government’s decision to gazette as ‘disturbed’ and ‘dangerous’ the remote and difficult-terrain gorges, escarpments and caves where bandits retreated to hide after attacking, robbing and killing innocent civilians.
The second in command further noted that bandits were flushed from their hideouts in a process that lasted several months.
“To arrest possible breakdown of law and order, a police-led security operation with the support of the military was declared on 13th February 2023. It has been 19 months of sustained war on bandits in the North,” Kindiki stated.
“The strategic decision to gazette as ‘disturbed’ and ‘dangerous’ remote and difficult-terrain gorges, escarpments and caves where bandits retreated to hide after attacking, robbing and killing innocent civilians, proved the gamechanger.
“Heavily armed bandits were flushed from these areas in a process that lasted several months. Their outdated gimmicks of taunting security forces and sometimes staging daylight raids were eventually crushed through intelligence-led operations, superior firepower and efficient operational and tactical outputs that resulted in the neutralization of dangerous bandit commanders and their spiritual influencers,” he added.
According to Kindiki, the infrastructure that had sustained banditry for over four decades has been
suppressed and dismantled.
In his address, Kindiki also pointed out that bandit gangs and their enablers have been overpowered and scattered.
“19 months after President Ruto ordered the most consequential security operation against banditry ever to take place in Northern Kenya, the infrastructure that had sustained banditry for over four decades has been suppressed and dismantled. Bandit gangs and their enablers have been overpowered and scattered, despite occasional feeble attempts to resuscitate this horrendous crime against the people of Kenya,” Kindiki said.
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