Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced significant progress in restoring peace and stability in the troubled Kerio Valley, saying the government’s sustained operations against banditry are yielding tangible results.
In a statement shared on X, Murkomen said normalcy is gradually returning to the region as communities begin to embrace peace and development.
He revealed that 285 firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition have so far been surrendered by reformed bandits who accepted the government’s offer for rehabilitation.
“The guns are falling silent in the Kerio Valley, and empowerment of local communities is taking shape,” Murkomen said, adding that the government is supporting the former bandits through an anti-radicalisation and reintegration programme aimed at helping them resume productive lives.
Murkomen, who attended an empowerment drive in Sambirir, Marakwet East, alongside Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other leaders, noted that irrigation schemes and security road projects have already been launched to boost livelihoods and enhance security in the valley.
He thanked Deputy President Gachagua for his commitment to the peace initiative and pledged that once banditry is fully eradicated, the government will roll out a large-scale empowerment programme targeting both the reformed bandits and affected residents.
The event was hosted by Elgeyo Marakwet Woman Representative Caroline Ng’elechei and attended by several senior leaders, including Governor Wisley Rotich, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, Senators William Kisang and Veronica Maina, Treasury PS Chris Kiptoo, and Farouk Kibet, the President’s personal assistant.
Murkomen reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending the decades-old insecurity in the Kerio Valley, saying the peace efforts mark “a new dawn” for a region long haunted by banditry and violence.
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