MOGOTIO, Kenya — The government has reported significant progress in restoring peace in parts of the Rift Valley, with Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo urging churches and community leaders to help safeguard the gains as development and job-creation programmes roll out in Baringo County.
Speaking during a service at the Mogotio Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church on Sunday, Omollo said sustained security operations against banditry and livestock theft in the Kerio Valley and surrounding areas were yielding results, creating a stable environment for development.
He called on faith leaders, elders and residents to reinforce peace through responsible citizenship, cooperation with local administrators and support for community-based security structures such as Nyumba Kumi.
“The calm we are witnessing must be protected. Peace is the foundation of development, and it requires unity, vigilance and close cooperation with security agencies,” Omollo said.
The PS warned criminal networks targeting young people through illicit drugs and harmful products, saying the government would take firm action against individuals exploiting youth for profit.
“We will not negotiate with people who are destroying our children. We have clear marching orders from the President,” he added.
New administrative units to boost service delivery
Omollo said the government was operationalising previously gazetted administrative units to bring services closer to citizens.
In Mogotio alone, three new locations and three sub-locations have been established.
Across Baringo County, he said, the government plans to operationalise five divisions, over 20 locations and more than 40 sub-locations, easing access to chiefs, assistant chiefs and other government offices.
Education push as transition rate hits 71%
The PS reiterated President William Ruto’s directive that no child should miss school due to lack of fees, uniforms or shoes, urging parents to utilise the extended reporting period announced by the Ministry of Education.
He said Baringo County’s transition rate currently stands at 71 per cent, against a target of 100 per cent, and called for coordinated efforts by leaders, education officers and administrators to ensure all eligible learners report to senior school.
“Within the next one week, every eligible child should be in school,” Omollo said.
Youth jobs, housing and enterprise programmes
On employment, Omollo highlighted the NYOTA Programme, under which more than 121,000 young people are expected to benefit nationwide.
He said 70 youths in every ward will receive KSh50,000 grants to start or expand small businesses.
He also underscored the importance of skills certification for artisans, noting that formal recognition improves income prospects and opens doors to overseas employment under the government’s labour mobility programme.
The PS further pointed to the Affordable Housing Programme as a key driver of jobs and local economic growth, citing ongoing projects in Mogotio, including newly launched housing units and a modern market.
Omollo said similar development initiatives were underway across the country, including in North Eastern, Coast, Nyanza and Rift Valley regions, reflecting what he termed a results-driven leadership approach under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek, who attended the service, urged residents — especially young people — to register for national identity cards and voter registration ahead of the next elections, saying civic participation strengthens democracy and accountability.
