The Ministry of Interior on Monday revised bandit hideout areas where residents are expected to vacate immediately in North Rift.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki through a statement removed Kapelbok, Nakwamoru, Lobokat, Lokoron, the Turkwell Escarpment, and Ombollion areas within Turkana and West Pokot Counties from bandit hideout areas.
In these areas, residents are advised to continue with daily activities and adhere to the ongoing operation.
The ministry sampled out other new areas on the hideout areas harboring armed criminals.
The added areas include Ng’elecha Hills and Gorges, Ramacha and Losokoni Caves, Laramoru Gorges, Karau Hills, Noosidan Escarpment, Rugus Caves, and the Amaya Gorges at the interface of Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu Counties.
Starting March 13, 2023, the residents were to vacate the added areas in 24 hours.
“Any member of the public found in the [aforementioned] spaces… after Tuesday 14th March 2023 1930 HOURS will be treated as a suspect of armed banditry, or as a suspect of aiding and abetting banditry, or an accessory after the fact,” Kindiki said in the statement.
The operation which started on February 13 this year entered the second phase as the law enforcers in the operation recently received additional weapons.
The operation is police-led with assistance from the Kenya Defence Force.
Dozens have so far vacated the targeted areas.
