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Interior CS Kithure Kindiki on Thursday evening, October 5, announced the deployment of a specialized contingent of security personnel to the affected region to restore peace and curb the escalating lawlessness.
Over the past 48 hours, Sondu Town has witnessed a wave of violence that has resulted in loss of lives, destruction of property, and a severe breakdown of civil order.
CS Kindiki said that in the face of this crisis, urgent steps were necessary to protect the lives and properties of the affected citizens.
He added that the operation is under the joint supervision of the Rift Valley and Nyanza regional security teams.
"The special deployment is to be supervised jointly by the Rift Valley and Nyanza regional security teams with firm instructions to ensure immediate resumption of normalcy and the arrest an prosecution of each and every perpetrator of the horrific crimes that have been committed against the people of Sondu Town and its environs," the Interior CS said.
In addition to the immediate deployment, the government has taken administrative action against local authorities.
Local security heads on both sides of the border, along with other security and public officers whose effectiveness, impartiality, or competence have been called into question, will be transferred.
This move is aimed at rectifying any deficiencies that may have contributed to the criminals' success.
Moreover, the government is not ruling out the announcement of further measures to tackle the situation effectively and prevent any recurrence of such crimes.
These additional measures will be discussed after a thorough assessment and review of the actions taken, with the priority being the safety and security of the citizens.
Earlier in the day, four governors from the Nyanza region issued a joint appeal to the national government to deploy a contingent of General Service Unit (GSU) officers to the Sondu area to restore peace and security.
The governors said that attempts by the police to restore law and order in the area have been unsuccessful, and alleged that those from the Kericho side were not cooperating.