Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives on Wednesday arrested a suspected bandit in Baringo following a four-year hunt during which authorities monitored his activities.
According to the police, the 20-year-old was cornered at his residence in Adoket Village Tiaty, Baringo County, in an operation that led to the recovery of 2 assault rifles.
“A detailed search was conducted inside the suspected bandit's house where the detectives managed to recover two AK47 rifles with 10 and 5 rounds of ammunition respectively,” the DCI said in a statement.
The agency stated that the suspect is currently being held in police custody, after which he will be presented in court and charged.
The arrest comes against the backdrop of the ongoing security operation in counties within the North Rift region geared at reining in on bandits who have been causing havoc over the years.
In September, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki issued a shoot-to-kill order to police officers fighting banditry in the North Rift region.
"Any criminal who will try to use a weapon to shoot or try to harm a police officer will go on a one-way trip. We will buy him a ticket on a journey where you don't come back," he said
According to Kindiki, the North Rift regions which have been gazetted as banditry hotspots will remain operation zones until the insecurity issues in the region including cattle rustling are solved.
“The Government will not profile or criminalize any community. Security officers must with law-abiding citizens identify the few criminal elements who terrorize innocent residents, impoverish them economically, and taint the image of an entire community,” Kindiki stated.
Kindiki while visiting the region, also issued a warning to politicians and wealthy businessmen financing banditry in the region. The CS also ordered the police to immediately arrest anyone found culpable of financing banditry.
Meanwhile, police officers in Baringo County are pursuing other banditry suspects as the government moves to rein in on insecurity in the troubled region.
“We are still pursuing the others and we are also looking to seize more guns. For the last two weeks, we have managed to arrest three bandits and recover three guns,” noted Baringo County Commander Julius Kiragu.
