Senator Cherargei Urges Gazettement of Kerio Valley as ‘Disturbed Area’ Amid Rising Insecurity
NANDI COUNTY, Kenya, June 3 — Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has called on the national government to officially declare Kerio Valley a “disturbed area” in response to escalating insecurity, following the recent killing of Catholic priest Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett.
Speaking during the burial ceremony of the slain priest on Monday, June 2, Senator Cherargei stated that gazetting the region would be critical for enabling security agencies to disarm and flush out criminal elements terrorizing residents. He emphasized that those responsible for the violence should be treated as “domestic terrorists.”
“When some areas around Mount Elgon had security challenges, the government gazetted them. We need to gazette Kerio Valley as a disturbance zone,” said the senator.
Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett of St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish was killed in an ambush on Thursday, May 22, in Kakbiken village while returning from a small Christian community (Jumuiya) mass. Eyewitnesses reported that he was sprayed with bullets in a targeted attack.
The killing sparked national outrage, prompting President William Ruto to call for swift investigations and justice for the victim. “Our condolences to the church and the faithful of St. Matthias Mulumba Tot Parish, Diocese of Eldoret, for the loss of Father Allois Cheruiyot Bett,” President Ruto said in a statement on May 23.
Senator Cherargei pledged to ensure that the perpetrators of the priest’s murder are brought to justice and urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to intensify efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible.
“What happened in Kerio Valley is domestic terrorism. We want answers — why was the priest killed, who did it, and why?” Cherargei asked. “Justice must be done for Father Allois.”
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) also condemned the incident in a statement released on May 29, which additionally referenced the death of Father John Maina, who succumbed after being found unconscious along the Nyeri-Nyahururu highway. The bishops called on the government to expedite investigations into both incidents.
Senator Cherargei highlighted that restoring peace in Kerio Valley is essential for the region’s economic and social development. He warned that continued insecurity could derail progress and deepen suffering for residents.
“Restoration of peace in this region will be a key component in catalysing its economic and social metamorphosis,” he said.
The government has not yet responded to the senator’s request for gazettement, but pressure is mounting for more robust action in addressing the growing threats to security in Kerio Valley.
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Senator Cherargei Urges Gazettement of Kerio Valley as ‘Disturbed Area’ Amid Rising Insecurity