MERU, Kenya — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has issued a stern warning to armed bandits operating in Meru County, declaring that the government will unleash intensified security operations to dismantle criminal networks responsible for repeated attacks and cattle rustling in the region.
Speaking Thursday during the Tigania West Constituency Economic Empowerment Engagement at Athwana, Prof. Kindiki said the government had already deployed additional specialised security personnel and increased the number of National Police Reservists to reinforce local operations.
He insisted that the security crackdown would mirror the tactics used in stabilising violence-prone regions such as the Kerio Valley and parts of Lamu.
“We are going to fix this problem once and for all. We will increase national police reservists and security officers in the area. We will hunt them wherever they are and flush them out,” he said, underscoring what he termed a national security priority. “This is a national problem. It is beyond the governor, MP, MCA or local leaders. We are ready for it and I will ensure peace and order is fully restored in Meru.”
Meru North has recorded a resurgence of violent raids in recent weeks, leaving residents anxious and disrupting livelihoods in Tigania and Igembe. Local leaders have repeatedly urged the national government to intervene decisively, citing patterns of organised livestock theft and armed ambushes along border routes.
Professor Kindiki, who previously served as Interior Cabinet Secretary and led major security operations in the North Rift, referenced past successful interventions to assure residents that the government would replicate similar models in Meru.
Security analysts note that previous operations in the Kerio Valley involved a blend of military-police cooperation, intelligence-led raids, and expansion of community policing structures—strategies that could shape the Meru response.
During Thursday’s event, the DP also addressed mounting political tensions in the Mt Kenya region, pledging that the Kenya Kwanza administration remains committed to fulfilling development promises made during the 2022 campaigns. He dismissed calls from some political factions urging communities to abandon the ruling coalition.
“We must remain in government to benefit from its programmes because we voted for it. Do not be lied to abandon a government you fought for and elected,” he told residents, adding that ongoing development projects in Meru would be fast-tracked.
“We are fulfilling all the promises we made to the people of Meru and across the country. We will not be drawn to the retrogressive politics of pride, insults, and violence.”
Government-led infrastructure investments currently underway in Meru include multi-billion shilling tarmacking projects on the Kirindini–Mikinduri and Kunene–Miomponi roads, both expected to enhance agricultural access and trade connectivity. Construction of several modern markets is also nearing completion.
With large parts of Meru affected by prolonged dry spells, Prof. Kindiki further assured that the government would dispatch relief food to vulnerable households. “We will not let the people suffer. We will support them until the situation eases,” he said.
As security agencies begin heightened patrols and intelligence-gathering in Tigania, analysts say the government will be under pressure to demonstrate measurable progress while avoiding the heavy-handed tactics that have previously drawn criticism in other regions.
For now, residents await the promised crackdown, hoping it will restore stability to an area long troubled by recurring waves of bandit violence.
