Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki has declared a full-scale war on bandits in Meru County, deploying elite security units to quell a surge in deadly raids and cattle rustling that have terrorized local communities.

The move signals a significant escalation in the government's response to insecurity that has crippled farming and claimed numerous lives, including those of police reservists, along the volatile Meru-Isiolo border. For residents of Meru North, this intensified operation is a desperate hope for a return to normalcy.

"We are going to fix this problem once and for all," Kindiki announced during an economic empowerment forum in Tigania West, Meru County. "We will increase National Police Reservists and security officers in the area. We will hunt them wherever they are and flush them out."

The latest wave of violence saw at least seven people killed and over 600 livestock stolen in coordinated raids across Igembe, Tigania, and Buuri constituencies just last week.

A Vow to End the Reign of Terror

The government's strategy involves a two-pronged approach: bolstering the presence of specialized police units and expanding the recruitment of National Police Reservists (NPRs). These reservists are local civilians, vetted and trained by the state, who assist the police in maintaining law and order, often in areas with limited official police presence. Their intimate knowledge of the terrain is considered a crucial asset in tracking the highly mobile bandit groups.

This intervention comes after repeated calls from local leaders for a decisive security operation to protect lives and livelihoods. The attacks have become increasingly brazen, with heavily armed raiders engaging in fierce gun battles, sometimes overpowering security forces and killing reservists.

Echoes of Kerio Valley

Kindiki emphasized that the tactics would mirror those used in other troubled regions, citing progress in neutralizing bandits in the Kerio Valley under 'Operation Maliza Uhalifu' and containing terrorists in Lamu. "This is a national problem. It is beyond the governor, MP, MCA or local leaders," he noted, framing the Meru situation as a threat to national security.

However, the North Rift operation has had mixed results. A recent parliamentary report acknowledged that while it initially quelled violence, challenges like rugged terrain and a proliferation of arms have led to sporadic and recurrent attacks. The success in Meru will depend on avoiding these pitfalls.

In a move to reassure the government's political heartland, Kindiki also vowed that the Mt Kenya region would not be neglected, insisting all development pledges made by the administration would be honoured.

For the residents of Meru North, the minister's tough words are a welcome promise. The true test, however, will be in the sustained peace that allows them to finally return to their farms and daily lives without fear.