The operation to restore normalcy in Laikipia has seen government unveil its rarely seen and deadly weapons, most of which are part of the fleet commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta at the GSU headquarters in 2016.
The area seemed like a warzone with an assembly of deadly weapons, some in the hands of tough-looking officers. The mean-looking officers have been deployed with only one assignment; to flush out bandits in the Ol Moran area in Laikipia County.
The government deployed the National Police Reservists (NPR) who were recently re-armed, Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit, General Service Unit (GSU), and Administration Police (AP).
Their job was simple; kick out the bandits with zero options. The officers were almost 400 in number.
The government unveiled the N-wrap, an all-terrain vehicle. It is capable of maneuvering through the thickets. With its bulletproof armor, it is able to create a buffer to repulse potential attackers.
An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was also unveiled in the operation. It assesses all terrains with a 360 rotation shooting design. It was used to silence the attackers in their hideouts.
They are all bulletproof vehicles that were used to move the dreaded officers around Laikipia together with the four-wheeled land cruisers.
The National Police Airwing helicopter was also seen hovering over the disturbed sections of Laikipia.
The contingent officers in the operations were heavily armed, painting a clear picture of the high-intensity operation.
HK21 belted rifles were at the forefront of the operation. One single belt consisting of over 200 ammunitions.
Sophisticated AK47 rifles were also part of the operation that bore fruit with some residents returning home and even schools reopened.
G3 Rifles were also added to the strategic deployment to flush out the bandits and maintaining order at the station and at other places where displaced families are sheltered, including the Ol Moran Technical Training Institute and the St Mark Catholic Church.
The operation furthermore saw the National Intelligence Service (NIS) deployed and also some sleuths drawn from DCI sent to join the operation.
The bandits had unleashed terror on the residents of the north and the west, killing 10, injuring dozens, and displacing hundreds.
This prompted the government to escalate its operation with Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i leading the operation.
“The operation is bearing fruit and that is why we are asking parents to allow their children to go back to school and people should start resuming their businesses. It must be noted that the operation is only being conducted in the area that was gazetted as disturbed and not the entire Laikipia County.
“The disturbed area is the Laikipia Nature Conservancy and its environs, and we have enough personnel covering this area. More have been deployed today and the operation is well-coordinated,” NPS Director of Communications Bruno Shioso stated on the status of the operations.
So far, some normalcy has been restored in the area, but the officers will continue with the operation.
