Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has called for an amendment to the Terrorism Act, a day after the government outlined measures aimed at combating banditry in the country.
Cattle rustling and banditry, according to Cherargei, should be declared terrorist acts. Victims of such crimes, he believes, should be compensated by the government as well. According to Cherargei, an amendment to the Terrorism Act has been developed to include provisions for victims’ compensation and a declaration that banditry and livestock rustling constitute terrorist acts.
In order to change an Act, a member must file an amendment bill through the legislative process, which goes through several stages before being adopted by the entire House. The senator made the comment a few hours after roughly 50 bandits raided Lomelo village in Suguta valley, killing three people—including a police reserve officer—and injuring two more. They are alleged to have defeated a group of officers from the Rapid Deployment Unit.
They are alleged to have dominated At Kiyach in Baringo, where one person was killed by bandits allegedly wearing police reservist uniforms, a similar occurrence was also recorded. In November 2012, when 42 administrative police officers were shot by alleged bandits, Suguta Valley gained notoriety.
Kenyan law defines terrorism as the unlawful use of force or threat of force with the aim of promoting a political, religious, or ideological cause or creating fear among the general public or a segment of the general public. The Prevention of Terrorism Act was passed in October 2012 in order to establish a thorough and efficient legislative framework for the nation’s fight against terrorism.
Kindiki Kithure, the interior cabinet secretary, stated on Monday that a special squad has been formed to monitor and hunt for robbers in predetermined locations. He claimed that a High-Level Counter Banditry Land and Air Team had been established, replete with a situation room in the ministry’s main office to monitor daily developments in this fight.