The government has announced an imminent security operation in Mukogodo Forest, Laikipia County, to target armed bandits and recover livestock allegedly hidden in the dense forest.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the exercise will begin within 48 hours, after giving a final warning to anyone in possession of illegal firearms to surrender them voluntarily.
“All these areas have bandits who are disturbing the peace in our area, and for many days we have pleaded with them to voluntarily surrender the rifles they have. They have not heeded our request,” Murkomen said.
He added, “Today we have come to tell them that within the next eight hours, we will begin an operation to disarm them. Mukogodo Forest is a public entity, and therefore, conducting an operation will not be seen as an attack on residents. If you are within the Mukogodo area and in possession of a firearm, you have the next eight hours to surrender it to the security agencies, because what will follow is a forceful disarmament.”
Murkomen also warned that anyone living in the forest should leave immediately to avoid being caught up in the operation. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja assured local communities that the exercise will be precise and professional, stressing that security forces aim to reestablish lasting peace and allow normal life to resume.
Mukogodo Forest has long been known as a hideout for bandits who frequently raid livestock herders, disrupting livelihoods across Laikipia North. The government’s move comes after a recent attack in Doldol, where armed raiders stole over 1,200 goats and 200 cows.
Herders reported that the attackers were from neighboring Isiolo County. Police tracked the raiders to Laikorok village, engaged them in a gunfight at Seku, and recovered 122 of the 130 stolen cows, with manhunts continuing in the forest.
The planned operation is part of a wider security initiative covering the North Rift and Upper Eastern regions. CS Murkomen, alongside DIG – Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, GSU Commandant Ranson Lolmodooni, and senior security officials, is conducting a multi-day assessment of security in Isiolo, Laikipia, and neighboring counties.
The ongoing drought in pastoralist areas has worsened conflicts over water and grazing land, escalating cattle rustling and undermining gains from Operation Maliza Uhalifu and other security programs.
During discussions with local leaders, National Government Administrative Officers, and senior security personnel in Isiolo, Murkomen shared plans to reorganize security teams, open new patrol routes, and enhance communication networks for quicker responses to threats.
The upcoming Isiolo operation will also focus on illegal firearms, ammunition, criminal elements, and their sponsors, complementing disarmament activities already underway in Kainuk, Turkana County, to curb banditry.
“We have made significant progress in restoring peace and normal life in many parts of the Kerio Valley region,” Murkomen said. “But some areas still require intensified interventions to eradicate criminal elements.”
He urged politicians to avoid provocative statements and asked residents to stay calm as security agencies ramp up operations. Governor Abdi Guyo, Deputy Governor James Lowasa, MPs Fatuma Dullo, Mumina Bonaya, Joseph Samal, MCAs led by Speaker Abdullahi Jaldesa, and senior police officials attended the meetings.
The government’s multi-county security drive is designed to strengthen rapid response, consolidate achievements under Operation Maliza Uhalifu, and ensure communities across the North Rift and Upper Eastern regions live free from crime, banditry, and livestock theft.
