In a significant response to address the growing wave of violence and clashes in Sondu town, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has deployed an elite security team to quell the situation.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, the CS cited the loss of lives and property destruction as the driving forces behind this crucial action.
The special deployment of specialist security personnel will be jointly supervised by the Rift Valley and Nyanza regional security teams.
Their primary mission is to swiftly restore normalcy to the affected region. They are also to ensure the apprehension and prosecution of all individuals responsible for the heinous crimes committed against the people of Sondu Town and its environs.
The Interior CS further confirmed that the government has launched investigations into the conduct of the current police commanders in the region.
As an interim measure, all local security heads on both sides of the border and other security officers were transferred.
“In the meantime, it has been decided to transfer all local security heads on both sides of the border and other security and public officers whose want of effectiveness, impartiality and/or competence is deemed to have resulted in the success of the criminals,” the statement reads in part.
This move is aimed at rectifying any shortcomings that may have contributed to the escalation of the violence.
Azimio accuses leaders of involvement in the violence
The decision to deploy additional security forces comes shortly after Azimio la Umoja, led by Raila Odinga, pointed fingers at leaders aligned with the ruling coalition for the unrest.
Azimio la Umoja asserted that influential figures, including leaders and politicians from neighboring counties and the national government, are allegedly involved in the violence.
Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai was singled out as a prominent figure associated with the unrest, which Azimio suspects is tied to territorial claims in Kisumu County during the upcoming boundary review.
Interior CS Kindiki has announced that further measures to contain the situation and prevent additional criminal activities will be disclosed on Friday, following a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures currently in place.
