Police say 25 suspected gang members are in custody following a security operation in Kitale.
Police say the suspects were arrested following reports of attacks and rising insecurity in Kitale’s Premium area and neighbouring communities.
Police have arrested 25 suspected gang members in a targeted operation in Kitale following reports of violence and criminal activity in the town’s Premium area and neighbouring communities in Trans Nzoia County.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said officers from Kitale Police Station carried out the operation in response to growing concerns over the safety of residents. The suspects are believed to belong to a gang linked to a series of attacks in the affected areas.
In its statement, the agency said those arrested remained in custody and were being processed ahead of arraignment. It did not disclose their identities or give details of the specific attacks they are suspected of carrying out.
Operation follows reports of rising insecurity
The crackdown followed reports that residents of Premium and nearby communities were facing increasing threats from criminal gangs. The DCI linked the deployment to concerns about escalating violence and other criminal activities in the area.
Officers targeted people suspected of involvement in the gang-related insecurity. While the agency reported 25 arrests, its statement did not set out the alleged role of each suspect in the attacks reported by residents.
The information released centres on the arrests and the police response to insecurity. It does not provide an account of individual incidents or identify the residents affected by the alleged attacks.
Suspects await arraignment
The DCI said processing of the suspects was underway in preparation for their appearance in court. The statement did not specify the charges they would face or provide an arraignment date.
At the stage described by the agency, the 25 people remain suspects in police custody. The allegations connecting them to gang activity and attacks on residents have not been presented as court findings.
The DCI also said those arrested would be handled in accordance with the law. Its account places the arrests within a continuing security response rather than announcing the conclusion of proceedings against the suspects.
Police plan further intelligence-led operations
The arrests form part of ongoing National Police Service efforts to tackle criminal activity and restore security in affected communities. The DCI said police would continue intelligence-led, multi-agency operations aimed at apprehending individuals suspected of threatening public safety.
The agency’s stated focus is on curbing gang-related violence and protecting residents from criminal activity. For Premium and neighbouring communities, the latest action involves both the detention of the 25 suspects and the commitment to further security operations.
The next step announced by the DCI is the suspects’ arraignment once processing is complete, while police continue their response to the reported insecurity.
