Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo has said the government is shifting its focus in the North Rift from security operations to long-term interventions aimed at addressing the economic and social conditions that fuel insecurity.
Omollo said lasting peace in the region would require sustained security operations alongside investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic opportunities for communities that have endured years of banditry and cattle rustling.
In an article outlining the government’s security interventions, the PS said more than KSh4.2 billion had been spent on security roads and infrastructure, with over 520 kilometres of roads constructed or improved.
He noted that the investments were intended to reconnect communities to markets, enable traders to reach customers and improve access to essential services, particularly for families in remote pastoralist areas.
Omollo said security interventions had also yielded significant results through Operation Maliza Uhalifu, launched in February 2023, and disarmament efforts under Operation Rudisha Bunduki.
The two operations have recovered more than 2,600 illegal firearms and over 17,000 head of livestock, according to the PS.
He, however, cautioned that recovering stolen animals and confiscating illegal weapons would not guarantee lasting peace unless authorities also dismantled the criminal networks financing and facilitating livestock theft.
He said financiers and organisers of cattle rustling must be pursued and prosecuted to prevent the resurgence of violence, which is often fuelled by competition over water, pasture and grazing land.
“Security gains must translate into functioning services and economic opportunities through coordinated action by security agencies, national government ministries and county governments,” Omollo said.
The PS pointed to education as another critical component of the government’s stabilisation efforts, citing the rehabilitation of classrooms at Ngarachi Comprehensive School in Laikipia by Kenya Defence Forces engineers and their partners.
He said restoring learning facilities in areas affected by insecurity was necessary to help children resume their education, while sustained progress would depend on the availability of teachers, regular school attendance and parents’ confidence in their children’s safety.
Omollo also called for improvements in healthcare facilities, water systems and other public services, arguing that security interventions must be accompanied by tangible improvements in people’s daily lives.
He said communities should be actively involved in resolving local disputes over grazing routes, shared water points and other resources that could escalate into violence.
Through Nyumba Kumi structures, National Government Administration Officers and security teams, residents should have reliable channels to report threats and receive timely responses, he added.
On accountability, Omollo said security operations must respect human rights and the dignity of civilians, with allegations of abuse investigated through established oversight institutions, including the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the National Police Service Commission.
He said communities were more likely to cooperate with security agencies when their rights were respected and their concerns addressed.
The PS further emphasised the need for reconciliation and support for families that had lost relatives, homes and livelihoods during years of insecurity.
He said neighbouring communities needed opportunities to resolve longstanding grievances and establish fair arrangements for sharing water and pasture.
Young people, in particular, required meaningful economic opportunities to enable them to earn a living and participate in shaping their communities’ future.
Omollo said Elgeyo Marakwet’s role as one of the counties co-hosting this year’s Mashujaa Day provided an opportunity to highlight the region’s potential in sports, commerce, education and community development.
He argued that the ultimate measure of success in the government’s security interventions should not be the number of firearms recovered or kilometres of roads constructed, but whether residents could rebuild their livelihoods and live without fear.
He said lasting peace would mean children attending school without interruption, pastoralists moving livestock safely, farmers cultivating their land and traders accessing markets without fear of attacks.
“The true measure of success will be found not merely in the number of firearms recovered or roads constructed, but in the lives people are finally able to lead and in a generation that inherits the promise of these regions rather than the insecurity that has held them back,” he said.
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