NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7— The government has admitted that security personnel and equipment deployed to tackle banditry in Samburu, Meru and Isiolo are inadequate for sustained operations, as 14 people were killed and 17 injured between June and September.

📻 Breaking It Down

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen told the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security that difficult terrain, poor roads and communication networks, long distances between security installations and limited resources were constraining security operations in the affected counties.

“Current resources in terms of personnel and equipment are not adequate for sustained security coverage,” Murkomen said.

The admission comes despite an intensified government crackdown that has recovered 2,395 illegally held firearms and 3,221 stolen livestock in the affected areas.

📌 What You Need to Know

Between June and September, 4,306 livestock were reported stolen, with security agencies recovering 3,221, according to the Interior Ministry.

Murkomen said banditry and cattle rustling had evolved from traditional livestock raids into organized criminal activity driven by illegal firearms, commercial markets for stolen animals, cross-county networks and retaliatory attacks.

He said climate-induced migration and competition over pasture and water were also fueling conflicts in the arid and semi-arid areas.

The government has deployed specialized units including the General Service Unit, Anti-Stock Theft Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit and Special Operations Group, alongside National Police Reservists.

It has also established security camps and rapid-response capabilities in identified hotspots, including Lii and Magado camps in Meru.

The security challenges were underscored by a September 16 attack in Samburu in which five people were killed after security officers and National Police Reservists responding to a reported killing were ambushed by suspected bandits.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya