Rift Valley leaders drawn from Baringo County on Sunday, April 16, turned the heat on Police Inspector General Japhet Koome for failing to deal with the bandits.
The leaders who had met for interdenominational prayers at Sirate Region in Baringo faulted IG Koome for being tough on Azimio Leader Raila Odinga and largely inept in dealing with the bandits.
They, as a result, asked the Inspector General to show the same resolve he was using in clamping down on protestors to fight banditry in the North Rift.
“The other day during Raila-led protests in Nairobi, we saw you act tough even remarking that you do not fear being taken to International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Why don’t you come here and say the same to the bandits who are attacking us daily?” the leaders led by Mochogoi Ward Representative Kipruto Kimosop demanded.
The leaders further accused IG Koome of not implementing orders given to the police service to eliminate banditry in the region.
“You have every security resource and intelligence at your disposal, why are you finding it hard to nab those responsible?” Baringo South Member of Parliament Charles Kamuren quipped.
On what should happen going forward, the leaders asked for facilitation to meet President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
“IG Koome has failed in his job and the only way we can solve this problem is if we have a one-on-one with the President,” Lechuta Kombe, a resident from Baringo County, stated.
Despite the heavy security presence in the North Rift, bandits have continued to outsmart officers and carry on attacks.
In the past week, the bandits had killed two people and injured several and stole 70 heads of cattle in Baringo South.
In another instance that left the police department with an egg on its face, bandits tricked security officers into taking their commander to the hospital.
The commander of the bandits had been shot in Baringo and police officers were duped that he was a victim. They rushed him to Iten County Referal Hospital in the neighbouring Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The IG had on Sunday, April 16, indicated that no one would intimidate him in carrying out his mandate.
Koome, who was responding to Azimio writing a letter to ICC to investigate him for police brutality, remarked, “I will not be intimidated by the letter.”
“I want to tell members of the National Police Service, do not be intimidated by the letter. Serve our country, the Kenyan people and foreign visitors without fear,” he added.
