Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced a comprehensive security operation targeting banditry along the Turkana–West Pokot border.
Speaking during a security tour of Kainuk, a known hotspot along the county border, Murkomen said the government had already registered notable gains in stabilising parts of the region but warned that renewed efforts were needed in areas still affected by insecurity.
“We have made significant progress in restoring peace and normal life in many parts of the Kerio Valley region,” Murkomen said.
“There are, however, areas where we need to do more to eradicate acts of banditry and weed out criminal elements trying to take us back.”
The Cabinet Secretary noted that Kainuk has witnessed recent incidents of banditry, prompting the rollout of a fresh, coordinated security operation.
“Today I toured Kainuk on the border of Turkana and West Pokot counties, where incidences of banditry have been witnessed in the recent past,” he said.
According to Murkomen, the operation will focus on the disarmament of illegal firearms and the arrest of those behind criminal activities, including their sponsors.
“We are rolling out a comprehensive operation in the area, which will include disarmament and apprehension of perpetrators and their sponsors,” he stated.
He also appealed for restraint from political leaders and calm among local communities as security agencies carry out the operation.
“As we work on this operation, I call on politicians from the two counties to desist from inflammatory statements and urge residents to remain calm,” Murkomen said.
The Interior CS was accompanied by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Kenya Police Service) Eliud Lagat, alongside senior security officials from Turkana and West Pokot counties.
The renewed security drive is part of the government’s broader strategy to dismantle armed criminal networks, secure volatile border areas, and enable communities in the Kerio Valley to resume normal economic and social activities without fear.