President William Ruto on Monday, April 8, moved to rein in on banditry in West Pokot insisting that it was unacceptable that some schools in the region had remained closed due to increased insecurity.
As such, he ordered immediate deployment of the military with soldiers set to begin an operation in the region within the week.
"You have said that there are five schools in the area that are closed, I want to direct today while in West Pokot, in the next two days, the military will be here," he directed.
President Ruto stated that the military would be deployed to ensure the schools are rebuilt and reopened as well as ensure the safety of students once schools open for term three.
The President remarked that it was a shame that West Pokot was embroiled in banditry and cattle rustling at a time when the rest of the country was moving forward.
"You have seen that our Nairobi Stock Exchange has moved from the worst stock exchange to the best in the world, but here you are engaged in stock theft," he challenged West Pokot residents referencing the perennial cattle rustling in the region.
Once the army has secured the region, Ruto asked West Pokot residents to make sure that they sent their children to schools.
This was the second time in his presidency that Ruto was deploying the military to the troubled North Rift.
The first order was made on February 2023, where Ruto ordered a joint Kenya Defence Forces(KDF) and police security operation in all bandit-prone areas.
The operation coordinated by the Ministries of Defence and Interior has seen banditry cases reduce significantly although West Pokot and Baringo Counties have remained sore points as bandits continue raiding villages.
While ordering the second military deployment, President William Ruto did not specify if it would be another joint force with the Kenyan police.
Over 2,000 people are believed to have been displaced by bandits in West Pokot and Baringo Counties.
