Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has announced stringent measures to curb insecurity in Kapedo following the recent bandit attacks in the region.
The CS told the media on January 25, 2021, that he had imposed a 6 pm to 6 am curfew in the region, arguing that it was to enable security personnel in the region tackle the assailants.
"I am issuing a gazette notice extending curfew hours in Kapedo and I am going to designate it as a special operation area," Matiang'i stated.
"Everyone in the country knows the problem we have there, and we are not leaving until everything is sorted out," he added.
The CS alleged that cattle rustling is just a smokescreen for criminal activities in the region, in some instances he stated, are propelled by leaders from the region.
The CS reiterated that the challenge faced by residents in Kapedo is one that has been ignored for a long time, but stated that he was determined to rid the area of bandits.
"Though the problem has always manifested itself in cattle rustling, clearly it's a criminal activity supported by some groups of people in that region. We have decided as a government that we are not going to postpone this problem any more," Matiang'i declared.
He revealed that the government would maintain security forces in the region and work towards disarming people in Kapedo.
Matiang'i dispelled allegations of a humanitarian crisis in Kapedo, maintaining that security forces in the region are there to protect the citizens from criminals making lives miserable.
"If you remember, a few years back, these criminals killed 42 police officers in the region, then they killed another 21 officers. Recently they have killed more. We are not going to continue to monkey around," Matiang'i stated.
His sentiments come at the back of a security crisis in the region that claimed the life of a General Service Unit (GSU) operations officer and six other members of the public.
