Multi-agency team intensifies crackdown on banditry in Meru forests

A multi-agency security team comprising police, administration police and the military has intensified operations targeting armed bandits hiding in forested parts of Meru County.

The operation follows a spike in cases of livestock theft and attacks on residents living near forest fringes. Area security officials say the crackdown has already led to the recovery of illegal firearms and the arrest of several suspects.

"We shall not relent until every armed criminal hiding in these forests is flushed out. Residents deserve to sleep peacefully," said a senior security officer coordinating the operation.

Area leaders have welcomed the operation but urged the government to also invest in long-term interventions such as improved surveillance, community policing and economic empowerment for youth in banditry-prone areas.