Government to Declare Pokot Bandits an Outlawed Group

The bandits’ sprayed Tot High School bus with bullets along the Arror Mogil road as it ferried students from a school trip at around 10.30pm.

The incident left one person dead and 17 others including students and teachers seriously injured.

Speaking at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete, the CS said he will seek approval from the National Security Council before outlawing the bandits.

Matiang’i alongside Education CS George Magoha and his ICT counterpart Joe Mucheru were officiating the launch the 2021 National Examination period and issuance of security padlocks.

“Next week I am going to National Security Council to seek authorization to declare the Pokot movement an outlawed organization just like the MRC and terror groups in the country. It is not about cattle rustling anymore, this is a criminal organization disguised as cattle rustling,” the CS said in his address.

Matiang’i further stated that the government will apply an unprecedented level of force to wipe out the criminal entity.

“We have tried to adopt civilian methods to deal with them but it is clear that the time has come for us to approach the situation differently and subject to authorization from the council I will gazette the organization as an outlawed group,” the CS said.

He similarly urged leaders in the North Rift region to work in tandem with government to address insecurity in the region.

“Bullets and guns don’t bring peace and they don’t solve problems. They are solved by inter-communal conversations and proper investments in the livelihoods of residents,” he said.

Matiang’i correspondingly lauded the cooperation between his ministry and that of Education for jointly cooperating to ensure access to learning for all Kenyans.

“Working and delivering as one government has been our way of life for several years now and that is why we have overcome the challenges that we have faced,” he said.