Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki on Friday said the deployment of multiagency teams in the dangerous and disturbed areas in six North Rift counties is complete.

The National Police Service-led operation that has roped in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops is now receiving command and control from a remote situation room established in the area, their priority being flattening bandit hideouts.

“We will strike hard to neutralise all the threats in the nooks, crannies and gorges where the criminals hide and and ensure that they never access these areas again,” he said.

CS Kindiki said 124 people found in contravention of the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed in the areas have been arrested and arraigned in addition to recovery of illegal arms.

“We have so far received 39 illegal firearms surrendered by criminals, as of today, 136 rounds of ammunition and one Fragmented Rifle Grenade (FRG),” he added.

The CS stated that the amnesty period given to surrender arms will not be reintroduced, adding that anyone found with undocumented weaponry will be dealt with as a bandit.

With intelligence revealing that bandits in the bushes have been fleeing into the neigbouring Uganda and South Sudan, CS Kindiki revealed that the operation has also taken a diplomatic approach.

“Kenya is currently engaged with its neighbours Uganda and South Sudan to seal off all passages and channels by which criminals may escape from one territorial jusrisdiction to another,” stated the CS.

Kindiki stated that the area will be populated with permanent security installations, saying this will pave the way for smooth implementation of development projects to engage the communities in social and economic activities as a long-term solution to insecurity.