The National Police Service has deployed a multi-agency operation to combat a surge in bandit attacks affecting Meru, Isiolo, Samburu, and Laikipia counties.
Authorities say the recent spate of attacks has caused theft of livestock, injuries, and loss of life in several areas, including Buuri East, Tigania East and West, and Igembe North, Central, and Mutuati in Meru.
“Cattle have been stolen, several lives have been lost, and injuries have been reported. This is totally unacceptable and must be eradicated,” the NPS said in a statement on Saturday.
NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga stated that the operation is tasked with recovering stolen cattle, dismantling criminal networks, and confiscating illegal firearms and ammunition.
The security drive also features aerial surveillance and rapid-response units to ensure communities are protected during the crackdown.
Nyaga urged residents to cooperate with the operation by sharing information through various channels.
“Residents in the targeted areas are urged to offer their maximum co-operation to security personnel, share intelligence, and ensure that banditry and related forms of criminality are brought to an end,” he said.
Tips can be reported at the nearest police station, through toll-free lines 999, 911, or 112, anonymously via the Fichua kwa DCI hotline on 0800722203, or through WhatsApp at 0709570000.
Besides Meru, the operation targets other hotspots, including Mukogondo Forest in Laikipia, Lantana and Sereolipi in Samburu East, and Kipsing and Ngaremara in Isiolo.
According to the police, the deployment is large and coordinated, reflecting a determined effort to neutralize criminal gangs and prevent further attacks.
Nyaga highlighted that community participation will be vital in ensuring the operation succeeds. “The National Police Service is committed to eradicating all forms of criminality while remaining steadfast in ensuring public safety and security,” he affirmed.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has also raised the alarm over a fresh wave of bandit attacks in northern Meru County, warning that gangs of cattle rustlers have returned, causing deaths and spreading fear among residents.
In a statement on Saturday, he said government has responded by mobilizing security forces to curb the resurgence and restore peace in the region.
“The return of dangerous gangs of cattle rustlers killing and maiming innocent people can not be allowed to upset the gains made towards eradicating banditry that by 2022 had threatened to disrupt civil order in nine counties of Northern Rift Valley and Upper Eastern Regions,” Kindiki said.
By 2022, widespread banditry had posed a serious threat to communities across several counties, but security agencies succeeded in suppressing most criminal networks.
However, recent attacks within the Northern Grazing Area of Meru County show that some gangs have regrouped, prompting renewed efforts to protect residents and livestock.
Kindiki emphasized that the government remains committed to ensuring that the gains achieved in previous years are not reversed.
“While the crime has been suppressed and bandits crushed in nearly all the previously affected areas, the Government’s security agencies are determined to defeat the gangs that have of late resumed attacks within the Northern Grazing Area of Meru County, to return normalcy and protect the people from criminals,” he stated.
Local communities in the affected areas have faced a mix of fear and disruption, as banditry has historically involved violent raids, theft of livestock, and sometimes casualties. Authorities say that coordinated patrols and intelligence-led operations are now underway to track down the culprits and restore order.