​President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned tough action will be taken against bandits who have been maiming residents in rustling prone areas of Baringo County this is after deployment of  Kenya Defence Forces to quell perennial attacks in the county.

Speaking on Monday during an interview with Citizen Television, Kenyatta warned an impending harsh action to those who have been carrying out the attacks in the areas of Baringo South and Baringo North sub counties that have now been gazetted as disturbed and operational zones.

He said the government was patient enough to allow dialogue a chance to see if they will end the killings but the bandits decided that they were above law going even to kill innocent women and children.

“We gave dialogue chance to see if the conflicts in Baringo ends but it persisted that is why we took the initiative to deploy Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to Baringo , Elgeyo Marakawet and Laikipia counties,” said President Kenyatta.

The president who spoke as a heavy contingent of KDF officers set foot on Sunday in Baringo ready to flush out bandits and carry out massive disarmament of illegal fire arms that are being used to cause mayhem in Baringo and neighbouring counties.

Kenyatta said that the operation was the only way to bring to an end the ongoing attacks in Baringo, Laikipia and Elgeyo Marakwet counties promising that the bandits will regret their heinous acts after the deployment.   

“We thought the conflicts were as a result of the ongoing drought but they continued up to killing women and children. I had even sent my Deputy several times to urge the communities to stop the fights but all didn’t bear fruits. It has reached a time that some have decided that they don’t want dialogue and that they have crossed the red line,” a visibly angry President said.

Now we will take tough action to them to ensure we protect all Kenyans wherever they are added Uhuru Kenyatta.

15 people have lost their lives in the latest attack in Mukutani, Baringo South and thousands are still in make shift camps after being displaced following attacks by bandits from neighbouring Tiaty sub county.

“You will see what will befall them because we are patient government but we are also a government who will not allow the kind impunity that some individuals are taking under the guise of these problems to kill innocent women and children who are not part of these problems,” warned the President.