Kerio Valley clings to hope as anti-bandit operation restores calm

Despite the relative calm Kerio valley appears to enjoy now, peace here remains delicate and constantly under threat. In the last seven months, more than ten people have been killed by bandits who have shifted tactics. The most shocking, the murder of catholic priest Father Alloise Cheruiyot Bett on May 22nd as he spread the gospel in Tot, Elgeyo Marakwet County. His brutal death shattered any illusion of calm and renewed calls for decisive action against a banditry menace that has left decades of bloodshed and destruction in its wake. families are still too afraid to return to their homesteads, visit schools deserted by fear and insecurity, and explore government plans to find lasting peace.