Raymond Omollo, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, has said that security operations alone will not end banditry in the North Rift and the northern frontier counties. He made the case in an opinion article published on Sunday, Ghafla Kenya reported. He wrote that lasting peace also requires reconciliation, essential services and economic development.
Omollo said the persistence of banditry shows the limits of action that only disrupts violence. He said raids can be stopped, livestock recovered and guns seized. But violence returns, he said, when criminal networks stay profitable, when communities compete over water and pasture, and when old grievances go unresolved.
He cited Operation Maliza Uhalifu, launched in February 2023, and disarmament under Operation Rudisha Bunduki. According to Omollo, the two operations have recovered more than 2,600 illegal firearms and over 17,000 head of livestock. He said the government has spent more than KSh 4.2 billion on security roads and infrastructure. That work has built or improved over 520 kilometres of roads. He also pointed to classrooms at Ngarachi Comprehensive School rehabilitated by Kenya Defence Forces engineers and their partners.
To hold on to these gains, Omollo said, authorities must pursue stolen livestock beyond the scene of attacks. He said they must also hold financiers and organisers to account and prosecute people who knowingly trade in stolen animals. He added that new buildings do not guarantee progress without teachers, regular attendance and parents who feel their children are safe.
The PS called on security agencies, national ministries and county governments to work together. He said Nyumba Kumi, National Government Administration Officers and security teams should give residents reliable ways to report threats. He urged officers to carry out lawful, professional and intelligence-led operations that respect civilians' rights. He said allegations of abuse should go to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and to disciplinary processes under the National Police Service Commission.
Omollo also called for neighbouring communities to resolve longstanding grievances and agree on fair ways to share water and pasture. He said young people need real chances to earn a living. He described the region, from the Korkoron Hills to the Suguta Valley, as having strong potential for tourism, agriculture and business. He cited Elgeyo Marakwet's role as one of this year's Mashujaa Day co-hosting counties as a sign of those opportunities.