Laikipia governor says bandits terrorising helpless residents

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi who has blamed the heightened insecurity in the region to the recent disarming of police reservists. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The governor wants more security forces sent to Laikipia to flush out bandits and cattle rustlers.
  • He said that the government was misinformed by disarming the police reservists.
  • Githiga, Rumuruti and Ol Moran wards in Laikipia West are the areas mostly affected by the insecurity.

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has blamed the heightened insecurity in the region to the recent disarming of police reservists.

Governor Muriithi said that the situation is getting out of hand and faulted the national government for disarming National Police Reservists.

The governor, who has since called for the immediate deployment of more security forces in the region to flush out bandits and cattle rustlers, has said that the spate of cattle rustling and banditry attacks witnessed in the past few days is as a result of the withdrawal of guns from the police reservists.

“It is the high time that the Ministry of Interior considers deploying military personnel to flush out the bandits who have been terrorising our people even in broad daylight,” he said.

MISINFORMED

He said that the government was misinformed by disarming the police reservists without deploying more security personnel to man hotspot areas in the county, hence giving bandits a leeway to terrorise residents.

“How can a responsible government withdraw guns from legitimate police reservists and leave armed bandits, cattle rustlers and terrorists to roam freely killing and stealing from the people? Are the people meant to protect themselves or is there a silent plan to dislodge them from their homes,” posed Governor Muriithi.

Githiga, Rumuruti and Ol Moran wards in Laikipia West are the areas mostly affected by the insecurity with the recent five banditry attacks leaving police and locals injured and over 100 cows and goats stolen.