- This comes a year later after Kitui Governor Kaluki Ngilu sought President Uhuru Kenyatta to establish KDF base in Kitui County to address insecurity
- President granted the request and sent Defence CS by then Monica Juma for paper work and laid down mutual agreement pact with the Kitui Govt
- On Thursday 9th June, KDF held consultative meeting with Nguni Ward residents at Mwingi Central ahead of planned installation base
Residents of the banditry-prone Inyali area in Mutha Ward, Kitui South Sub-County have endorsed government plans to set up a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) patrol base in the area.
Speaking during a public participation forum organized by the county government in conjunction with KDF, the locals expressed their relief at the sight of imminent end to their protracted plight in the hands of Somali bandits.
They tearfully recounted how gun-toting criminals masquerading as camel herders have for years unleashed terror on their villages.
“They have killed and maimed our people, stolen our property and even attempted to drive us out of our farms in order to graze their animals.
“But we now know it’s a matter of time before we can start living without fear as military officers will not only be living amongst us but also protect us from the criminals,” noted the residents.
KDF’s ad-hoc committee chair Brigadier (Rtd) Foustine Sirera said KDF was planning to set up a military patrol base at Inyali which has been worst-hit by bandit attacks.
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Lands CEC Samson Masila affirmed Governor Charity Ngilu’s administration’s commitment to collaborate with KDF to guarantee Kitui residents constant security.
“Our people have suffered enough in the hands of bandits from our neighboring county. But to decisively deal with the security menace, KDF have agreed to install a patrol base here,” said CEC Masila.
The base will sit on a 2,500-acre piece of land.
In addition, a 10,000-acre military camp will be constructed at Ukasi in Mwingi Central Sub-County while another patrol base covering 2,500 acres is set to be established at Mandongoi in Ngomeni Ward, Mwingi Central Sub-County.
The three military installations will strategically sit along the volatile Kitui-Tana River border area.