Murkomen Links Banditry to Marginalisation, Announces Security Measures in Isiolo
The CS spoke after holding a meeting with a section of leaders from Isiolo County to discuss the recent increase in banditry incidents and possible solutions.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has linked persistent cattle rustling and banditry in pastoralist areas to historic marginalisation and underdevelopment, calling for stronger security operations and improved road connectivity in affected regions. Photo: Kipchumba Murkomen.
By Robert Mutasi
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has attributed persistent cattle rustling and banditry in pastoralist areas to historic marginalisation and underdevelopment.
Murkomen said addressing insecurity in affected areas requires both enhanced security operations and investment in infrastructure, particularly road networks that connect remote communities to the rest of the country.
The CS spoke after holding a meeting with a section of leaders from Isiolo County to discuss the recent increase in banditry incidents and possible solutions.
Murkomen said the government was taking several measures to strengthen security in the county, including the recruitment and deployment of additional National Police Reservists (NPRs).
He said more police stations would be operationalised while security camps would be established in areas identified as banditry hotspots.
The government is also deploying additional security equipment to officers operating in affected areas, Murkomen said.
“Cattle rustling and banditry are largely a result of historic marginalization in pastoralist areas. Perpetrators are, at the same time, victims of underdevelopment,” Murkomen said.
He said long-term efforts to address the problem must also focus on improving infrastructure and economic connectivity in pastoralist regions.
“A permanent solution to the problem can only be achieved through increased road connectivity to the rest of the country,” he said.
Murkomen added that the government was processing funding for the construction of access roads in counties affected by banditry.
The roads are expected to improve access to remote areas while supporting security operations and linking communities to markets and other services.
The meeting brought together Isiolo Deputy Governor James Lowasa, Isiolo North MP Joseph Samal and several Members of the County Assembly, among other leaders.
The government has in recent years increased the use of National Police Reservists in areas affected by banditry, alongside regular security operations.
Murkomen said the measures being implemented in Isiolo were aimed at strengthening security while addressing some of the development challenges that have affected pastoralist communities for decades.
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