Govt Announces 6 PM to 6 AM Curfew in Parts of Laikipia County

Today, September 6, 2021, the National Security Council held a meeting to deliberate on the deteriorating state of security in parts of Laikipia County especially the area around the Laikipia Nature Conservancy and its environs.

Ministry of Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i in a statement after the meeting, noted that insecurity in the region was on the rise, owing to the rampant cases of cattle rustling.

NSC stated that the rustling was as a result of competition for water and pastures between the neighbouring communities. They also highlighted the increase in illegal gun ownership as a contributing factor to the rising insecurity.

The NSC meeting which was chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta, resolved that the Laikipia Nature Conservancy and its environs be declared a disturbed area and therefore a security operation zone.

NSC moved to place the entire region under a dusk to dawn curfew, in an attempt to curb the rising insecurity in the county.

"A security operation commences immediately to flush out all the illegal occupants of the Laikipia Nature Conservancy and its environs with a dusk (6pm) to dawn (6am) curfew being declared with immediate effect," the statement read in part.

"All leaders including politicians, public officers, businessmen and others who have illegally moved their livestock into the conflict zone to remove the same from there within the next 48 hours," the statement adds.

The orders come in the midst of numerous reported cases of insecurity in Laikipia County.

On the afternoon of August 30, 2021, an officer was shot after 50 bandits raided Kamwenje General Service Unit (GSU) command centre which lies at the border of Laikipia and Baringo Counties.

The officer was shot in the head, increasing the number of officers shot by bandits in Laikipia County to seven over the last one month. He was rushed to Nakuru War Memorial Hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Over the last one month, bandits have orchestrated a series of attacks targeting law enforcement officers patrolling the volatile region.

On July 24, two officers were ambushed by unknown assailants while they were changing their car's tyres. They suffered gunshot wounds in the process.

On August 2, another officer was shot dead by gunmen while they were patrolling the Laikipia Nature Conservancy.

Two weeks later, bandits ambushed officers manning the ranch, killing four officers.