Former Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya on Monday, February 13, revealed shocking details of the dark world of banditry.
Banditry has over decades caused untold suffering characterized by many deaths and injuries on the people of Kerio Valley in Elgeyo Marakwet and other parts of the region.
But Natembeya, who is also the Trans Nzoia Governor said bandits are recruited into training at an early stage.
He further claimed that within the banditry circles, they have a command structure decided upon by the number of police officers that each bandit kills individually making it hard for police officers to weed them out.
As such, Kenya’s President William Ruto directed the KDF to work jointly with the police to weed out bandits in various places that have experienced cattle rustling and banditry in Baringo, Kerio Valley.
However, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has warned the KDF against killing the bandits.
In a statement on Tuesday, February 14, the ODM legislator instead recommended that the bandits be captured and recruited into the KDF due to their skillful tactics.
“If it is true that bandits’ first gift from their parents at age of three is a bullet then they are battle-hardened, experienced, ground resilient and military fit, then don’t kill them. Use brains to capture them alive and recruit them into KDF,” he said.
The recommendations by the legislator come after the Trans Nzoia governor said that the government’s laxity in dealing decisively with the banditry menace created a loophole that the government is now desperately attempting to fill.
Natembeya further revealed that the lack of support from the government in dealing with banditry in the region made him throw in the towel.
“I remember how a bungled operation at the Laikipia Conservancy made me decide to quit my job (as regional commissioner),” Natembeya said.
