President William Ruto has sternly warned the armed groups involved in the deadly clashes rocking Angata Barikoi in Trans Mara, ordering residents holding illegal firearms to surrender them immediately or face a full security crackdown.
Speaking on Monday, December 22, during the Baringo Cultural Festival and the Kimalel Goat Auction, the President said the government would not put up with the violence that has taken lives and displaced families along the Narok border area.
“These people have to return the guns to the police. If they don’t, they will face it,” uncompromising, said Ruto. “We must stop criminals, terrorists and all others who are infringing on the peace and security of other citizens. And we are not begging.”
His remarks came moments after Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot appealed for the deployment of specialized security units, including the Kenya Defence Forces, KDF, to restore order in the troubled region.
Ruto compared the case to that of Baringo County, which was once a hotbed of banditry but is now relatively peaceful after prolonged security operations. He said the same system would be employed in Angata Barikoi, cautioning that there is more in store for those who will not heed the government’s instructions.
“I expect the fighting to stop,” said the President, who warned that those who do not heed the call to lay down their arms would be dealt with accordingly.
Cheruiyot painted a dire picture of what was obtaining on the ground, telling the President that clashes between the border communities had already resulted in the deaths of at least seven people.
“The same bandits who were terrorising Baringo have now gone to Angata Barikoi,” Cheruiyot said. “There are special forces trained to deal with this kind of threat. Please send them to deal with the bandits there.”
The no-nonsense pronouncement by the President comes amidst increased government activities in the region. Earlier in the day, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had issued a special gazette notice declaring Trans Mara West and Trans Mara South constituencies as security-disturbed and dangerous areas for the next 30 days.
The notice listed among the areas facing serious security threats as Kilgoris, Ang’ata Barikoi, Lolgorian town, Mogondo, Keyian, Kirindon, Olderkesi, Nkararo and Kapsasian. The government said security presence in these regions has been significantly reinforced with additional officers deployed to prevent further violence and protect civilians.
The clampdown in the affected areas was brought into effect with the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew, declared by Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat on December 20.
The clashes have had devastating consequences for the residents. Several people have been killed, over 120 houses torched, and families forced to flee their homes. According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, children, women, and persons with disabilities have been most affected, their food stores and livelihoods destroyed in the fires.
Police in Trans Mara, as investigations continue, have arrested a local Member of County Assembly and another person over their alleged involvement in the Ang’ata Barikoi violence. With security operations now heightened and the President issuing a no-nonsense warning, residents are bracing for decisive action as the government moves to restore calm in a region once again caught in the grip of deadly conflict.
