By Abdimalik Hajir - Reporter
July 10, 2026 - Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has asked the police to arrest any criminals terrorising Garissa residents regardless of their status in society.
Duale's remarks come after police intensified a crackdown on knife-wielding gangs, arresting notorious criminals following an uproar over incidents of robbery with violence.
Speaking during the disbursement of the second phase of the Nyota programme in Garissa town, Duale said police should put more effort into cracking down on criminals, noting that they should not allow criminals to freely operate in the town.
"We want our people to continue doing their businesses peacefully and be able to go to mosques and churches without any issues," Duale said.
The former Majority Leader in the National Assembly said police should apprehend anyone suspected to be a member of the gangs even if they are related to a minister or the Governor, warning against those obstructing the police from doing their work.
Duale asked the DCI to also publish images of the culprits on their social media handles for the world to see, perhaps to deter criminals from engaging in the vice.
There has been a sharp rise in criminal gangs in Garissa, with knife-wielding criminals robbing and stabbing unsuspecting members of the public.
The vocal CS also drummed up support for President William Ruto, saying he is the first President to campaign for re-election using his manifesto.
Duale, who listed some of the key projects President Ruto's administration has implemented in north-eastern Kenya, said the region has no option but to vote for Ruto's re-election.
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"The only President who will campaign using his manifesto is President Ruto. He has brought Nyota for youths, he has built roads in different parts of Kenya, and he has employed 100,000," Duale told locals who turned up during the programme at the Regional Commissioner's residence.
On Wednesday, police arrested a 21-year-old robbery-with-violence suspect who had been on the run after absconding from court in Garissa.
The detectives trailed and apprehended Hamza Abdi Dagane in the Bulla Medina area of Garissa Township, bringing his bid to evade justice to an abrupt end.
The suspect, according to the police, is facing two robbery-with-violence cases before the Garissa Law Courts, where a warrant for his arrest had been issued after he failed to appear in court on June 29, 2026.
He was arraigned on July 9, 2026, to answer to the robbery-with-violence charges.
The latest arrest follows the arrest of other suspected criminals within Garissa Township, with police under pressure to hunt down the gangs.