Monday, August 15, 2016
By VIVIAN JEBET
Police are looking for an appropriate location where the ceremony will be conducted in Isiolo County.
Ngaremara MCA Peter Losu presents his G3 rifle to Isiolo County Commissioner George Natembeya on April 5, 2016. The government is set to destroy at least 5,000 illegal firearms this month in Isiolo. PHOTO | VIVIAN JEBET | NATION MEDIA GROUP
At least 5,000 illegal firearms recovered in the country in the last five years will be destroyed this month.
According to Isiolo County Commissioner George Natembeya, the seized weapons are usually destroyed at a ceremony in Nairobi but the focus now shifts to counties with many cases of civilians in possession of the firearms like Isiolo.
“The Office of the President in collaboration with Kenya Focal Point on small arms and light weapons have initiated a progamme to set ablaze confiscated weapons recovered at county headquarters to stem the flow of the illegal arms,” he said.
He added that police are looking for an appropriate location where the ceremony will be conducted in Isiolo County.
Mr Natembeya said only weapons recovered by the government through operations, those surrendered voluntarily and those acquired through forceful disarmament will be destroyed.
Illegal firearms registered by gun owners will not be burnt, Mr Natembeya said.
In Isiolo, about 100 illegal weapons have been registered in the last four months.
Insecurity in pastoralist counties has been attributed to the influx of the weapons, with authorities saying there could be about 5,000 illegal arms in the hands of civilians in the county.
Last year, 50 people died in inter community conflicts as a result of cattle rustling and fight over water and pastures in Isiolo.
Mr Natembeya said the county government will be involved in the exercise since its operations have been affected by insecurity in the region.
“The county lacks investors due to security witnessed for a long period, that is why we are partnering with them in the destruction exercise,” said the commissioner.
Security expert Mwenda Mbijiwe said cases of cattle rustling and fight over scarce resources in pastoralist counties is encouraging ownership of firearms.
Mr Mbijiwe added that most illegal guns find their way into the country from Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia.