State imposes 30-day dusk to dawn curfew in Marsabit
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i addressing the media at GSU headquarters, Nairobi, on Marsabit County security situation on May 2, 2022.
The government has placed the whole of Marsabit County under a 30-day curfew starting at 6pm this evening to allow for a crackdown on illegal firearms and ammunition in the region.
Meanwhile, Kom sub-location in neighbouring Isiolo County has been declared a disturbed area for the next 30 days to allow officers to carry out a similar security operation.
Consequently, any movement to and from the area within that period must be cleared by security officials. Any groups seeking to enter the area to conduct trade will be deemed to be armed, dangerous and combatant and will be dealt with accordingly.
Several General Service Unit (GSU) officers have been deployed to the two areas to begin an operation that the Interior ministry said will last until normality returns.
Illegal ammunition
Speaking after a meeting with senior security officials at the GSU headquarters in Ruaraka, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said there is a nexus between the proliferation of illegal ammunition in the county and mining activities in neighbouring Isiolo County, especially in Kom in Merti sub-county.
“Illegal mining activities are going on that seem to be funding some of the conflicts in Marsabit. I must say candidly here, we think some resources are being channelled to terrorist cells,” said the CS, who was accompanied by Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai and GSU Commandant Douglas Kanja among other senior security officials.
A huge cache of explosives intercepted in Merti in transit to Nairobi was linked to one of the cells.
“That route has become worrisome to all of us over the recent years. I cannot recount the number of times our security officers have disrupted planned terror activities on that route,” said the CS.
Oromo Liberation Front
Intelligence reports also show that there could be a spillover of activities of suspected Oromo Liberation Front groups from Ethiopia in the area around Sololo.
“We are going to have a clean-up exercise in the area. I ask all political leaders to cooperate with us. The kind of beastly acts we have seen in that area must end. We are going to solve a problem," said Dr Matiang'i.
Six people, including a chief and an assistant chief, were killed last week in the latest attack in the area.
Loglogo Senior Chief Kennedy Kongoman, Lokileleng'i Assistant Chief Keena Moga and three others were pursuing stolen cattle in the Awaye area when they were ambushed by the attackers.
