The Kenya Kwanza government is ready to fight banditry in the North Rift even if it will reduce its political popularity, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has said. 

While appearing before the Senate Committee on National Cohesion on Wednesday, Kindiki said that President William Ruto is committed to ending banditry by all means. 

“President William Ruto has told me that he is willing to lose political support and end this problem. If ending this problem will reduce his numbers in certain corners, he said he will take that and shape the country,” the Interior CS told Senate. 

Kindiki said politicians involved in banditry will be dealt with, even if they are affiliated with Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party. 

“I have the blessing of the Commander in Chief (Ruto) to deal ruthlessly with any political leader who is aiding, abetting or supporting the terror in the north, even if they are in his political party. Even if they are in the opposition,” he said. 

“The easier ones to deal with are the one’s in the president’s political party, but the ones in the opposition will start crying and talking about Kenya Kwanza and Azimio. I am not going to be drawn into that debate,” Kindiki added. 

The Interior minister also said that he has kept off political activities since he took oath of office in order to avoid conflicts of interest. 

“For the last 120 days I have not talked any politics and I will not speak politics I am going to work with politicians because they are stakeholders…elected by the people and can help us get solutions. But up to where they are within the law, if you fall outside the law it doesn’t matter,” he said. 

Kindiki noted that the government has previously retreated from the battle field due to death of police officers, but this time round, there will be no retreat. 

“We will instead populate that area with enough security deployment, develop the area and stay there for good.”

The banditry activities in the north have resulted in the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops to the region, in order to support the National Police service in responding to security emergencies.