North Rift leaders call for deployment of KDF to tame rising banditry attacks

Legislators from pastoralist communities have implored President William Ruto to invoke article 241(3) of the constitution and deploy the military to flush out bandits wreaking havoc in the North Rift region.

According to the legislators, the current and ongoing joint operation led by the police in the region has failed to deter bandit attacks with the latest incident seeing a pair of medics lose their lives on Tuesday in two separate incidents in Arror and Chesogon areas of Elgeyo Marakwet County.

"We cannot have situations where innocent civilians are killed by bandits yet it is business as usual. Mr. President it is no longer business as usual. As Parliament we are ready to pass that approval of allowing you to deploy the military as soon as possible," Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said.

Cherargei's sentiments were echoed by Saku MP Dido Rasso who urged the Kenya Kwanza administration to move with speed and address the banditry menace in the North Rift.

"It is now time to deploy the military so that they can take the lead in the ongoing operation in the North Rift. Parliament must be approached as soon as it is reasonably possible for us as MPs to give the KDF the go-ahead to discharge their duties to protect their lives and properties," Saku MP Dido Rasso said.

While urging the President to take charge of the situation, the North Rift leaders also called for the arrest and prosecution of leaders who are allegedly fuelling banditry attacks in their respective regions.

"Any one of us (leaders) who is found to be part and parcel of the process should be dealt with according to the law. There is no Kenyan who is above the law and we want our people to live in peace and we do not want to see Kenyans losing their lives and property," Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago said.