Mt Elgon leaders unite in call for state to lift curfew

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i

Leaders from Mt Elgon continue to pile pressure on the Government to lift a three-month curfew imposed on the region over insecurity.

Local MCAs have called on the Government let residents have their normal life back, only a day after Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi asked Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to lift the dawn to dusk curfew he declared in March 6.

Kapondi had told Dr Matiang'i the curfew was no longer necessary since most of the wanted criminals had been arrested.

Yesterday, eight MCAs told The Standard the security operation that was meant to restore peace in the troubled region should be called off after recent arrest of wanted gang leaders.

The MCAs, led by Bungoma Assembly minority leader Francis Chemion (Kaptama) and former Deputy Speaker Jane Chebet (Cheptais) said businesses were suffering because of the operation.

On May 15, Timothy Kitai alias Cheparkach, suspected to be the leader of the gang that was behind the killing of at least 40 people, surrendered himself to police in Eldoret. The Government had put a Sh1 million bounty on his head.

A day after he was put in custody, Cheparkach’s younger brother Ngeywo Kitai alias ‘Jet-Lee’, who was also on the run, was arrested in Kericho.