Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya on Monday gave a shocking revelation as to why he resigned from the position of Regional Commissioner for the vast Rift Valley.

In a live interview with Citizen TV on Monday, Governor Natembeya highlighted the tough working conditions in which security officers fighting banditry operate.

It was during the interview that he dropped the damning revelation, saying one evening a suspected bandit moved incognito to within 25 metres from the watch tower.

“During change over a GSU officer, a 24- year old boy was shot in the head and we could not even get an ambulance to take him to hospital,” he narrated.

Further, the first term governor said, “the worst thing is that the commander had already reported that the officer was dead. I tried to call Nairobi (Head office) but nobody was picking my calls.”

According to the former Regional Commissioner who administered the region for three years, political leaders frustrate efforts to fight banditry.

“It is frustrating. Leaders will insult you on radio without understanding the challenges you are going through.

“It is at this point that I decided I was not going to preside over the death of innocent people,” he stated.

The governor urged President William Ruto to equip security officers and demand for results.

“Tell them I am giving you this (facilitation) and you show me the results in 30 days,” he said, advising that the KDF should lead the operation.

KDF-Police operation

On Monday, President Ruto ordered a KDF- Police joint operation to weed out banditry in all the banditry prone areas across Rift Valley.

This comes against a backdrop of rampant banditry attacks in the region, in which police officers and civilians have been killed.

ALSO READ: President Ruto orders joint KDF- police operation in banditry-prone areas