Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has revealed ways the government is going to curb insecurity and banditry in Kerio Valley.
In a statement after a church service at the Full Gospel Churches of Kenya in Ngoron on Sunday, Murkomen revealed that his Ministry's top priority in peace-building was through the establishment of development initiatives.
As a result, he announced that new proposed administrative units and police stations would be established as well as other development projects to improve their way of life.
"We are soon launching the proposed Kolowa Sub-County and other administrative units. We will also establish more police stations, improve security roads, and initiate new water projects and education infrastructure," Murkomen stated.
Reiterating that the past two years have seen a great improvement in the silencing of guns in the banditry-prone region, Murkomen stated that the government would not let the same fate take over the region.
He made a stern warning to all individuals carrying out criminal investigations in the region to stop immediately and surrender as a crackdown by authorities was imminent.
"We are putting those who are still engaging in criminal activities in the Kerio Valley on notice: Surrender yourselves and your arms to the authorities before we come for you. We're committed to changing the trajectory of Tiaty through development," he declared.
He further thanked leaders from the counties of Laikipia, Samburu, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and West Pokot for supporting security forces and fostering peace in Kerio Valley.
Murkomen also spoke on the issuance of national documents to the residents of the region, highlighting the plight they suffer to even receive birth certificates and national identification cards.
He promised a more efficient system which he said could include receiving birth certificates the same day they are applied for and ID cards after ten days.
To facilitate this, he added that officials responsible for this exercise would soon be granted motor vehicles to enable them to reach more Kenyans and issue them their respective documents.
This comes as the government is pushing for the documentation of all Kenyans without discrimination over their ethnicity. A few weeks ago, President William Ruto signed an executive order that stopped the mandatory vetting of residents in Nothern Kenya when applying for ID cards.
