NPS Launches ‘Operation Ondoa Jangili’ in Marsabit and Isiolo Counties
The National Police Service (NPS) has officially launched Operation Ondoa Jangili, a major security offensive aimed at eradicating cattle rustling and banditry in the counties of Marsabit and Isiolo. The operation, which translates to Remove the Bandit, will involve a sustained and multi-agency approach to disarm warriors, recover stolen livestock, and dismantle the criminal networks financing the violence. The government has termed the vice a form of economic sabotage and terrorism.
The operation will deploy specialized units from the Kenya Police, the Administration Police, and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to conduct targeted missions in the vast and rugged terrain that bandits have used as a hideout. A key component of the strategy is the construction of new security roads and the establishment of forward operating bases to improve mobility and maintain a permanent presence in hotspot areas.
Residents have been urged to cooperate with the security forces by providing information on the whereabouts of illegal firearms and criminal hideouts. The Interior Ministry has warned that the state will use all necessary force to pacify the region and that those involved in banditry have no option but to surrender. Operation Ondoa Jangili signals a renewed and more aggressive phase in the long-standing effort to bring lasting peace to the Northern Kenya region.