Murkomen launches police reservists training camp in bid to curb banditry

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen says more training camps will be established in areas affected by cattle rustling. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Interior and National Government Administration CS Kipchumba Murkomen launched a National Police Reservists field training at the Administrative Police Likii training camp at Amwathi in Igembe North, Meru.

Mr Murkomen said more training camps will be established in areas affected by cattle rustling and banditry, to beef up security in those regions.

The CS lauded the Meru county government for providing land for the training facility, sinking a borehole and constructing security roads, saying the national government was committed to partnering with county governments in addressing security challenges.

This is a great partnership between the two levels of government, he said.

Murkomen said the training camps were being devolved, leading to the establishment of impactful training facilities in areas affected by insecurity.

We want our security personnel to be trained where they are needed, he said.

"This training camp has been brought to an area where the people are exposed to cattle rustlers from neighbouring counties," he said.

He said the camp will act as a buffer zone to protect local communities from raiders who attack from neighbouring counties, including Samburu and Isiolo.

"We shall continue partnering to provide security to Kenyans," he said.

Murkomen said more NPR from Nairobi will be brought to the Meru camp and pledged more training facilities in West Pokot, Baringo, Turkana and other areas prone to cattle rustling and banditry.

"We have more than 2,000 recruits here," he said, adding that the officers were expected to help secure the country.

The recruits are drawn from different counties and for the last five months had undergone various levels of training.

He said an operation in Meru was bearing fruit.

"We have recovered 55 guns as a result of this operation," he said.

The CS noted that hundreds of livestock had been recovered.

"The training camp is supplementing the Security operation. We will deliver this region from banditry," he said.

Murkomen announced that the Interior and Roads Ministries were partnering to ensure security roads are built in areas hit by cattle rustling.

At the same time, Murkomen vowed to crack down on goons.

"We are going to rein in the goons and their sponsors will cry. This is not an empty threat. It is a warning because we are coming down on you very hard. You will see fire!" he said.

Inspector General Douglas Kanja said as a police service the aim was to train efficient reservists who with competences to discharge their duties of protecting the people and their property.

He revealed that the police officers who had been deployed to Haiti had done excellent work, adding that their target was to ensure the NPR recruits hit top standards.

The NPS remains committed to maintaining high standards and providing service to Kenyans, he said.

"We will ensure this area remains safe and secure and remains free from cattle rustling menace," Kanja said.

Governor Mutuma M'Ethingia said his administration was keen to partner with the national government to bolster security in the region. 

"This area has suffered insecurity for many years. Losing deaths and livestock in five constituencies has cost the people dearly. But the training colleges being established here will go a long way in curbing the insecurity," Governor M'Ethingia said.

He committed to facilitating the process of beefing up security in the region.

"Livestock is the backbone of this region and as a county government we will spare no efforts in restoring security here, so that we secure livelihoods," M'Ethingia added.

The governor said in addition to upgrading roads in the region, his administration was adding boreholes and put in more resources for upgrading more security roads.

"We have lost 15, 000 heads of cattle. We want the ones yet to be returned to be recovered. If that is not done we want at least the victims to be compensated," he said.

"As a community we want more security roads, because the problem of cattle rustling which makes recovery hard is compromised by impassable roads," he said.

Igembe North MP Julius Taitumu the community was happy.

"As a community we are happy that we have hosted this training camp," Mr Taitumu said.

DIG Gilbert Masengeli said the commencement of the field training will have an impactful service to the community.

He thanked the Meru county government and locals for donating the land on which the training camp is located.

"Security is a shared partnership," Mr Masengeli said.