The government has intensified the crackdown on bandits who have in recent days resorted to killing innocent civilians after cattle rustling was contained, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said.
Speaking when he condoled with the family of the late Fr. Alloys Cheruiyot Bett at their home in Cheplasgei Village, Kilibwoni Division in Nandi County, the CS vowed to hunt down all the assailants and pacify the area.
Fr. Alloys Bett was killed on Thursday May 22 in Tot, Kerio Valley.
Murkomen affirmed his committment to secure the country, stressing that no one will be spared.
“In the recent weeks, our security forces have intensified the crackdown against bandits in Kerio Valley subcounty, and arrests have been made.”
“As a result of these efforts and frustrated by the inability to carry out livestock raids, the bandits have resorted to terrorist activities where they kill innocent civilians inside the community away from cattle rustling,” said Murkomen.
He said the strategy was to instil fear and force the security officers to relent in their security operations.
“The attack on Fr. Bett must be understood from the context of his peace efforts and his evangelism against banditry. But we will not surrender and instead, our security men and women will double their efforts.”
He said the recent killings of Bonface Ongote, Simon Njaga, and now Fr. Allois Bett was a stark reminder that bandits have resorted to acts of terrorism away from livestock theft and are doing everything to ensure that peace is not restored.
He called for the communities in Kerio Valley subcounty and the wider region to fully cooperate with the security forces as they weed out criminals.
“We are going to be relentless in our efforts. Though we mourn those we lost, including Fr Bett, we are confident that we shall overcome. It’s darkest before dawn,” he said.
The government has, in the last two years, intensified operations against banditry.
As a result, many lives have been saved, livestock recovered, and incidences reduced by a significant margin. In the last five months, banditry incidences have reduced by more than 50% compared to 2024, according to the latest data.
“As a matter of fact, the larger Kerio Valley region is pacified, save for a few areas. The relative success is because of the collective efforts of our security officers, supportive members of the public, and community leaders, including from the religious community, like Fr. Alloys Bett.”
The CS expressed his deepest condolences to Fr. Alloy’s parents Eunice and Joseph Binder, his siblings, friends, the Church, the faithful of St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish and the entire Diocese of Eldoret for this painful and profoundly sad loss.
“Fr. Alloys was a deeply committed and energetic servant of God who went beyond the call of pastoral duty to foster peace and harmony in the community he faithfully served and loved very much,” the CS stated.
He said his killing is a big blow and comes at a time when the larger Kerio Valley is pacified following intensified security operations against banditry in the past two years.
“Save for a few trouble spots, peace has returned to the Valley. Incidents of banditry, for example, have reduced by 50% this year compared to 2024.”
He attributed the success to the collective efforts of our security officers, supportive members of the public, community leaders and the religious community like Fr. Alloys.
Following the intense crackdown on banditry and cattle rustling resulting in numerous arrests, the bandits have retreated to the community where they carry out other criminal activities.
Lately, they have resorted to acts of terror to instill fear in the community, security personnel and peace actors in the hope that the government will de-escalate the operation.
He called on the people of Kerio Valley Sub-County to continue cooperating with the security personnel as “we step up our efforts to eliminate this threat.”
“We will also make sure that we hand the harshest punishment to the perpetrators of these heinous acts. “
He was accompanied by the Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang, Emgwen MP Josses Lelmengit, DIG-KPS Eliud Lagat, area MCA Geoffrey Chemalan, Nandi Central Sub-County DCC Jillet Jillo among other leaders.
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