Police in Kenya have questioned a member of parliament over claims of funding bandits in the country’s northern Rift Valley region.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing was arrested on Thursday evening by officers from the Serious Crimes Unit and released hours after interrogation.
His lawyer says the MP will appear before detectives on Friday morning for further questioning.
Mr Pkosing is the first politician to be probed by authorities over the banditry menace that has left more than 100 civilians and 16 security officers dead in the past six months.
Kenya’s military will on Friday join police units in an operation against bandits and cattle rustlers in the restive northern region. “Operation maliza uhalifu” will disarm those illegally armed in the area.
A voluntary disarmament exercise ended on Thursday after a three-day ultimatum issued by President William Ruto lapsed.
Attempts by previous administrations to disarm the heavily armed bandits operating with impunity have failed.
The government has declared the prevailing security situation in the north a national emergency and imposed a 30-day dawn-to-dusk curfew in the region.
At the centre of the perennial attacks by bandits is the lucrative meat trade. Thousands of cattle are stolen every month and driven hundreds of kilometres away for slaughter or sale in the local and international markets.
Ethnic rivalry instigated by politicians and competition for natural resources are also factors behind banditry.
Analysts say the government should prioritise sustainable solutions like dialogue and improving the economic well-being of communities who have faced historic marginalisation.