Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that all National Police Reservists (NPRs) across Kenya will undergo a fresh vetting process in a bid to enhance security in regions plagued by banditry.
The CS spoke on Monday, April 28, after leading senior security officials in a peace meeting at Chesongoch in Kerio Valley, where he directed all police reservists under the command of officer commanding stations (OCS) under their areas of jurisdiction.
Further, Murkomen revealed that NPR camps would be established to complement police efforts in fighting crime.
"We want to have disciplined NPRs who will be remunerated and registered with SHA to assist police in cracking down on criminals and find long-lasting peace in the troubled Kerio Valley," Murkomen said.
Part of the fresh training by NPRs was to realign their discipline, with Murkomen noting that there were cases of reservists leasing out their firearms to civilians, thus promoting the banditry menace.
A similar case was witnessed days earlier, when two teenagers were nabbed with an AK-47, believed to belong to a police officer.
"We are going to deal firmly with NPRs who lease firearms to criminals or collaborate with them in banditry activities."
Further, in a bid to enhance security, Murkomen disclosed that chiefs who have undergone paramilitary training and whose lives are at risk will now be licensed to own firearms.
This unprecedented step is intended to empower local administrators to respond better to security threats in remote areas.
Notably, the sweeping reforms among NPRs were prompted by the fact that bandits had somehow changed tact, shifting from cattle rustling to highway robberies. On Monday, an incident in Moinonin in Baringo North saw one person shot dead while four others sustained injuries during an attack on the Marigat-Loruk road.
Baringo North Sub-County Commander Mohammed Abdi confirmed the incident, revealing that the bandits sprayed bullets at a convoy, hitting a 22-year-old woman and killing her instantly.
Elsewhere, Murkomen also spoke on a harrowing clash between civilians and police officers in Narok in an incident which left at least seven dead.
While terming the incident as unfortunate, Murkomen confirmed that investigations were underway to establish the chain of events which culminated in violent clashes between authorities and civilians.
