Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, has come out with the offer of a two-week amnesty to those in possession of illegal firearms and exhorted them to hand over the weapons to the security agencies voluntarily.
In his address on Thursday, Murkomen indicated that the government was committed to resolving the insecurity saga caused by the easy availability of small arms, especially in bandit-infested and border conflicted areas.
“These firearms have ended human and animal lives. We are giving Kenyans time to give them up without suffering at the hands of the law. But those who are sticker shock for us. They will be met with the force. You will be disarmed, profiled, summoned and visited,” the CS warned.
He gave the instruction that guns should be delivered to the nearest police stations or local security offices. At the end of the amnesty, Murkomen said that security organs would carry out intelligence-led operations such as tracing the weapon which was used in the sodomy of an assistant chief in Migori County.
The CS said that the deep-rooted presence of illegal guns had led to rustling, land quarreling, and political violence. He was alarmed at the fresh fighting between the Kipsigis and Kuria tribes in Angata Baragoi and called on the inhabitants to welcome peace.
Murkomen praised the progress in the North Rift, pointing out that in Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and West Pokot counties, a good number of the significantly bandits have already handed over their guns to security forces.
He revealed new security measures along the Kenya-Tanzania border, especially at Muhuru Bay and Isebania in Migori County.
The plans comprise fortifying border posts and intensifying patrols through a multi-agency team made up of the police, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to stop the smuggling of arms, drugs, ethanol and other illegal products.
The CS also cautioned politicians of the dangers of hiring goons to intimidate rivals, saying that the trend was a serious security threat. Besides, he mentioned other issues under his ministry that were coming up such as unregulated mining, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), and the harassment of fishermen in lake regions.
Murkomen stressed that the government would persistently firm in ensuring security in communities while also reaching out to those who are willing to work with the police.
