Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has declared a total war on banditry, announcing the construction of a permanent "Kiganjo-style" training base in the heart of the bandit-prone Kerio Valley.

Following a deadly attack in Kainuk that left a teenager dead and tensions at boiling point, the government is abandoning its policy of temporary interventions. The new strategy is one of permanent occupation. "Just as people go to Kiganjo, they must also come to Kerio," Murkomen asserted, outlining a plan to establish a joint police and military training facility that will serve as a fortress of state power in a region that has long operated as a lawless badland.

Boots on the Ground

The announcement comes as a direct response to the killing of a 19-year-old near the Turkwel junction, an attack that mocked the presence of security forces stationed less than a kilometer away. Residents are terrified; the bandits are striking with impunity, seemingly undeterred by the "Operation Maliza Uhalifu" launched in 2023. Murkomen's solution is to flood the zone not just with patrols, but with infrastructure. The proposed facility is intended to create a permanent buffer zone, denying criminals the freedom of movement they have enjoyed for decades.

"We are shifting focus from emergency response to maintaining a permanent security presence," the CS told troops at the Todo KDF Camp. The logic is simple: bandits cannot operate in the shadow of a fully operational police college. But locals, weary of endless security operations, remain skeptical.

• The Mining Nexus: Murkomen explicitly linked the violence in Kainuk and Turkwel to "mining-related criminal activity." This acknowledgment points to a disturbing evolution of the conflict from traditional cattle rustling to organized crime syndicates fighting for control of resources.
• The Guns of Kerio: Despite the recovery of over 1,000 illegal firearms in the last six months, the valley remains awash with weapons. The bandits are often better armed and more knowledgeable of the terrain than the officers sent to hunt them.

A Long War

The militarization of Kainuk is a gamble. By embedding a training college in the conflict zone, the state is effectively daring the bandits to attack a hardened target. It is a strategy of deterrence through dominance. However, infrastructure takes time to build, and the people of Kainuk are dying today.

For the grieving families in Turkana South, promises of a future police college offer little solace. They need protection now, before the next ambush turns the Kitale–Lodwar highway into a graveyard once again.