A total of 170 suspected criminals, including five remand escapees, have been arrested in a major police crackdown targeting rising insecurity in Kitale town and its surrounding areas.
Trans-Nzoia County Police Commander Riko Ngare said the operation, conducted in the informal settlements of Matisi, Mitume and Tuwan, led to the recovery of a large cache of suspected stolen items, including electronic equipment and household goods.
“Five of the suspects had escaped from Kiungani Police Post in January. During the operation, we recovered over 200 smartphones, laptops and gas cylinders,” said Ngare.
Police also uncovered what they described as a well-organised smartphone theft and resale syndicate. Some of the recovered phones bore identification names from Kapenguria and Lodwar, suggesting a wider criminal network spanning multiple towns.
Ngare noted that some of the suspects are linked to gangs allegedly hired by politicians to intimidate opponents and terrorise residents, adding that investigations are ongoing to dismantle such networks.
“We have their profiles and we are actively pursuing those still at large. We are determined to restore order and ensure Kitale is safe,” he said.
The crackdown follows a directive by Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who ordered a special security operation in the region after incidents of hooliganism and looting rocked Kitale town last Saturday during the Niko Kado Initiative.
Security agencies have since intensified patrols and surveillance, with authorities warning that the ongoing operation will continue until all criminal elements are flushed out.
