President William Ruto has ordered the deployment of a military contingent to West Pokot County amid rising cases of insecurity in the region occasioned by armed bandits.

While addressing members of the public during the commissioning of a cement plant in the county, the head of state noted that it was unfortunate that many learners were unable to attend school due to insecurity.

President Ruto stated that the military will report to duty in West Pokot within the week to restore nomalcy to the region.

"You have said that there are five schools in the area that are closed, I want to direct today while in West Pokot, in the next two days, the military will be here," Ruto said. 

He further directed that the security officers will oversee the construction and rebuilding of damaged class rooms, as well as ensure the safety of learners when the schools reopen.

Taking a slight dig into the situation in West Pokot, President Ruto challenged locals and leaders from the region to refrain from banditry and focus on other matters of nation building.

"You have seen that our Nairobi Stock Exchange has moved from the worst stock exchange to the best in the world, but here you are engaged in stock theft," he said.

Upon deployment of the security forces, the head of state directed parents to ensure that their children return to schools once they reopen.

This is the second time President Ruto is deploying military officers to combat banditry, having taken a similar step in February 2023. At the time, a multi agency team comprising military and police officers was deployed in a number of banditry-prone areas across the country.

This has seen significant reduction in the number of banditry incidents in the country, though Baringo and West Pokot remain as regions still affected by the vice.

Over the past couple of months, schools have been deserted, villages abandoned, homes torched, innocent members of the public and national police reservists slain in numerous bandit attacks in the Baringo, West Pokot regions.