In recent months, numerous incidents of violent crime have been reported in Mount Elgon District and surrounding areas. These incidents have been attributed to a local criminal gang which has been operating with impunity for over a year now.

What initially started as local land disputes confined to Cheptais Division of Mount Elgon District has spread to affect 5 neighboring districts with absolutely unjustifiable criminal acts of murder, robbery, arson, rape and extortion.

The net result has been distressing to Mt. Elgon and neighboring districts of Bungoma, the greater Trans-Nzoia and Kwanza. The latest incidence is the gruesome murder of 12 innocent civilians who had been accused of betraying the gang.

In Mount Elgon District alone, police are investigating 145 cases of murder, over 10,000 primary school children are not attending school, and the small scale farmers in the area have lost 712 heads of cattle in the last one and half years. Small scale farming, the economic base of the region, has been affected exposing the populace to a possibility of famine.

Kenya Police Headquarters would like to inform the public that 5 days ago, an operation tagged “Okoa Maisha” was launched in the area to restore security in the entire Mount Elgon region. Operation “Okoa Maisha” mission is to;

• Apprehend criminals who have committed crimes against innocent people and recover all the firearms illegally held in the area.

• Create an enabling environment for the population to cooperate with the Police in the investigation of serious crimes reported in the area without fear of retribution

• Arrest and bring to justice persons responsible for the crimes committed in this area

• Prevent commission of further crimes in the area and

• Restore Law and Order in the region

Kenya Police Operation “Okoa Maisha” (backed by Kenya Army) is an extensive exercise that intends to achieve results as soon as is feasible. We would like to inform the public that the 1st phase of the campaign is about to be completed after which we will embark on the next phase.

The current phase involves carrying out thorough security patrols in Mt Elgon forest, caves and the inhabited areas to apprehend criminals and recover illegal firearms. It also includes interrogation and interviewing of all persons suspected of committing, aiding and abetting the commission of crimes in the area including, those who have been used to intimidate the local population into paying protection fees to criminal gangs.

So far over 300 persons ranging from a Location Chief, Sub-Chiefs and School Teachers have been interrogated.

The latest information from the field is that security forces have also recovered 14 AK-47 rifles, 284 rounds of ammunition, machetes, hundreds of bows and poisoned arrows; in addition the operation has recovered 93 assaulted uniforms believed to have been stolen from the military, police, and the Ugandan Army. Several criminal hideouts including Kipkeu’s cave, Kaptoi caves i.e Chemwa, Koikoi, Tuigut and Murmoi have searched. Further into, the forest the Kapsigei area is now under effective security surveillance patrol.

The first obvious success of this operation is the smashing of the fear of criminals, which the local population had been subjected to. This fear had blocked public spirited citizens from giving information to security forces on criminals and criminal activities in the area.

Indeed we are happy to report that the recoveries mentioned above were as a result of information volunteered to security forces by former members of the criminal gang and other members of public. This cooperation is a most positive signal as it is testimony of the local community’s faith in the legitimate instruments of law and order.

We would wish to emphasize that in the long run, only the full restoration of law and order will enable the relevant authorities to comprehensively deal with other pertinent community issues like land disputes in a civil manner.

Kenya Police wishes to appeal to the local population in the affected areas and any other person with relevant information to pass it to the OCPD Mount Elgon or any other formation. Any information received will be treated in strict confidence.

Since, insecurity in Mount Elgon and the surrounding areas has been a matter of serious public concern; police will be informing the public on the progress of the operation on a regular basis.

(KIRAITHE E.K.)
FOR: COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
March 14, 2008