Special Police Units to Escort Vehicles on Mwingi-Garissa Road as Unrest Intensifies

The National Police Service (NPS) has announced the deployment of specialised security units to escort vehicles along the Mwingi-Garissa Road following attacks that have heightened tensions in parts of Kitui County. 

The move, announced on Wednesday, April 29, came after transport was paralysed on the road when groups blocked the highway over a clash between pastoralists and farmers, forcing bus companies to suspend services between Garissa and Nairobi. 

In its statement, NPS acknowledged public fears while maintaining that the attacks are not widespread.

"We acknowledge the anxiety and concern these incidents have caused among residents. However, we must be unequivocal: these are isolated criminal acts perpetrated by a few individuals within our communities," the statement read.

The service further commended residents for maintaining calm and working with security agencies despite the tension.

"We express our gratitude to members of the public in the affected areas for their continued cooperation and restraint, and we call upon them not to allow these criminals to drive a wedge between communities that have always coexisted peacefully," the statement added.

To address safety concerns along the transport corridor, NPS confirmed that elite units have already been deployed to secure movement and protect economic activity.

"The NPS has deployed specialised teams, including the General Service Unit and Rapid Deployment Unit, to escort vehicles along the Mwingi-Garissa Road and to enhance safety and security for businesses, travellers and the general public," the statement continued.

Authorities also revealed that investigations are ongoing, with officers pursuing leads aimed at identifying and arresting those responsible for the attacks.

"Meanwhile, investigative and intelligence teams are currently following crucial leads to track down the perpetrators. We are closing in on these suspects, with the objective of apprehending them swiftly and ensuring they face the full force of the law," the statement further read.

Residents in the affected regions have been urged to remain calm and avoid actions that could worsen the situation.

"Additionally, we urge the residents of Tseikuru, Ukasi and surrounding areas to remain calm and go about their lawful business, and not to engage in speculation or actions that could escalate tensions," the statement noted.

The police also called on local leadership to play a proactive role in maintaining peace and unity as security operations continue.

"We appeal to community elders, religious leaders, local administrators and political leaders to collaborate with security agencies, encourage peaceful coexistence, and focus on restoring trust and resolving disputes through dialogue and other lawful means," the statement concluded.

This comes days after Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka demanded answers from President William Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen following a bandit attack that left seven people dead in Kwa Kamari Trading Centre. 

In a statement on Sunday, April 26, Kalonzo said the killings marked a historic security breakdown in the region and directly blamed the government for failing to protect citizens.

"This attack has been described as the deadliest banditry incident in the region in forty years. Wazalendo wenzangu, let that sink in. Four decades have passed without carnage of this scale in Tseikuru until yesterday, under the watch of President William Samoei Ruto. I demand answers, and I demand them now," he said.

Kalonzo questioned how the attackers obtained sophisticated weapons and moved across counties undetected.

"To President Ruto: how do pastoralists come to possess automatic rifles capable of massacring seven Kenyans within minutes? Who armed them? Who allowed them to move freely across county borders carrying weapons of war?

"The assailants reportedly arrived in two unmarked vehicles. This was not a spontaneous act. It was organised, coordinated, and executed with military precision against a civilian population. Where was your intelligence? Where was your security apparatus?" he posed.

Kalonzo also turned his criticism toward Murkomen, saying warnings about insecurity in the area had been ignored.

"To Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen: You are constitutionally charged with the security of every Kenyan, from Moyale to Mombasa, from Elgeyo Marakwet to Busia, from Sugoi to Tseikuru. The attackers, believed to be members of a pastoralist community, had earlier encroached illegally into the Mwingi North Game Reserve.

"Their presence was known. Their encroachment was reported. The tension was documented. So I ask you directly, CS Murkomen: why were armed men allowed to move freely through Kitui County carrying AK-47 rifles, while the people of Tseikuru had nothing but their bare hands?" he asked.

Kalonzo called for urgent police action, investigations, and disarmament operations in the affected region.

"I call upon the Inspector General of Police to immediately deploy adequate security personnel to Tseikuru and the wider Mwingi North region. I further call for a full criminal investigation and for the arrest and prosecution of every individual involved in this massacre.

"Additionally, I demand the immediate disarmament of all illegal firearms across Kitui County and the surrounding region, without fear or favour," he further said.