The government will soon conduct another phase of firearm disarmament in the North Rift Counties with the aim of ending banditry.
This is part of a Sh2 billion Marshall plan initiated by the government.
Making the announcement on Tuesday, Defense Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale said the exercise will be conducted in Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot Counties following a spike in armed attacks.
“We are going to carry out disarmament hatuwezi kukubali watu ishirini wahangaishe watu wengi namna hii ,' he said.
This loosely translates to: We cannot allow 20 people to frustrate us like this.
Duale was speaking during a tour at the boarder of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot Counties.
The attacks last month left 11 people dead.
The surge in attacks and killings in Elgeyo Marakwet has left residents in anguish, gloom, and despair.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen who accompanied Duale, highlighted that KDF has established additional camps to bolster the security situation in the region.
"Our Kenya Defense forces are working together with the police to enhance security operations and to neutralise criminal elements in our midst," he said.
Murkomen also noted that his ministry was building security roads to aid the work of the security forces.
"I believe we shall eventually bring to an end the evil acts of banditry," he added.
However, CS Duale assured that the government is still on course to apprehend the suspects.
On February 16, the government commenced a police-led military-assisted security operation in six bandit-prone counties of North Rift following a spike in bandit attacks.
The operation followed a directive issued by President William Ruto on February 13 which was to begin after a three-day voluntary disarmament exercise.
Some 140 firearms had been surrendered by March 9.
The second phase of the operation started on March 11 as the government vowed to crack down on bandits who continued causing havoc all through phase one of the security operation.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said on March 9 during an update in Naivasha that the second phase would permanently deal with the criminals.
"The cheap antics, theatrics and manoeuvres that these criminals continue to depict simply because they have done it before and succeeded. I want to assure the people of Kenya this administration will permanently end this problem. We will liberate the North," Kindiki said.