PEACE AND TRANQUILITY REIGNS IN LAIKIPIA COUNTY

Laikipia County is one of the 14 counties within the Rift Valley Region. It covers an area of 9,462 km2 and is ranked as the 15th largest county in the country by land mass. The name “Laikipia” means “treeless plains” in Maasai language.

It is a cosmopolitan county that borders Samburu County to the North, Isiolo County to the North East, Meru County to the East and Nyeri County to the South East. Nyandarua County and Nakuru County border Laikipia to the South West while Baringo County extends from the West. The economic activities in the county mainly consists of tourism and agriculture.

The county is renowned as a hub of alluring beauty with its unmatched beautiful landscapes, from the sight of the snow-capped Mount Kenya, the spectacular views into the Great Rift Valley to the magnificent escarpments which descend into the wilds of northern Kenya. The county also boasts of lush greenery of the famous Laikipia Highlands.

The area is richly endowed with wildlife. In fact, the county is home to all the Big Five that have widely inhabited the pasture plains and the semi-arid lands of Laikipia.

Besides this alluring beauty, the county offers different camping activities like bird watching, canopying, and zip-lining. Tourism in Laikipia generates a significant revenue for the country annually and contributes to the wider social and infrastructural development in the area.

Following the outbreak of conflicts in some areas of Laikipia County last year, the Government acted swiftly and established a multi-agency security command to deal decisively with the security menace in the disturbed zones of the county.

With the concerted efforts by all stakeholders including robust support from community members who provided valuable information while bridging excellent coordination of information with village elders, great strides have been made to achieve sustainable peace and security in the area.

Normalcy has been restored as evinced by the upsurge in social-economic activities that have underscored the immense achievements made by the multi-agency security team. Equally, great success was manifested in the meticulous conduct during the recent General Election. Besides the few isolated concerns that were promptly addressed, the poll process across Laikipia County was generally peaceful and calm.

These momentous gains are credited to the sustained and valued partnership between the multi-agency security teams and the public, and the dedicated roles that state and non-state actors performed towards restoring peace and security in the area.

The multi-agency security team in Laikipia urge the public to continue embracing nationhood and tolerance as defined by the resilience of the Kenyan spirit and bound by the sacred philosophy of peace, love and unity. The security team will continue taking all necessary measures to ensure that the area is safe and secure.