Deputy President William Ruto defends military deployment in Kapedo
Deputy President William Ruto. PHOTO | DPPS
What you need to know:
- The Deputy President said a lot has to be done to improve security in areas affected by cattle rustling.
- He said the working conditions of the police and there welfare was being looked into to enable them perform their tasks.
Deputy President William Ruto has defended the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces in Kapedo, Baringo County, to flush out bandits who killed 19 police officers and recover illegal firearms.
Mr Ruto said security agencies deployed in Kapedo have “clear instructions to operate within the law".
“The army is a Kenyan asset, taxpayers pay for them to be in the barracks. If we have a situation that we need to mobilise and protect the nation, we have to, but we will do within the law,” he said in an interview with Capital FM on Tuesday morning.
The Deputy President said a lot has to be done to improve security in areas affected by cattle rustling.
“Insecurity in pastoralist areas must end. We must stamp out cattle rustling. We want those guys to engage in development activities,” he said.
The army was deployed to Kapedo after President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the area following the incident and gave the attackers an ultimatum to return the firearms stolen from the slain police officers.
HARASSMENT
Some leaders and human rights activists have urged the government to reconsider the decision to deploy the military in Kapedo following the killing of the 19 Administration Police officers.
The security personnel, who are mopping up illegal firearms from the pastoralist communities, have been accused of harassing the locals, with some claiming that they had been roughed up and their properties burnt down.
Mr Ruto, meanwhile, said reforms had been initiated in the Kenya Police Service to ensure officers are well equipped to fight crime.
He said the working conditions of police officers and there welfare was being looked into to enable them to perform their duties.
“We want police work to be intelligence-led. We are creating the synergy between them and the intelligence to ensure they do not use guesswork,” he said.
He said police should not have excuses over increased insecurity but added that “they have done a fabulous job”.
“The police have done a fabulous job so far, but unfortunate incidents happen. But we should not have excuses for any incidents happening,” he said.
