Drive for registration of illegal firearms underway in Rift Valley

The government has continued with its call for voluntary registration of illegal firearms among the pastoral communities in the Rift valley.

Rift Valley Coordinator Osman Warfa said the government would not allow communities to own guns without proper guidelines.

Speaking in Chepareria, West Pokot County after launching Kipkomo district, Warfa warned that stern action would be taken against those who will not heed the government’s directive to register their firearms.

“Those who are yet to surrender their firearms for registration should do so before the expiry of the period for voluntary surrender,” said Warfa.

He explained that those who wanted to register their firearms needed to visit the nearest chief’s office with their national identity cards.

The coordinator revealed that peace had been established in the volatile areas along the Pokot-Turkana border for almost a year now and applauded the two communities for keeping the peace.

“The communities in the North Rift region have made tremendous strides in promoting peace, last December we were very happy to see Pokots and Turkanas celebrating Christmas together,” he said.

Warfa further called on the locals to do away with outdated cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and cattle rustling, which he said had retarded development in the region.

“We are also giving a warning to politicians who are fond of inciting locals along the border that the government will not compromise security matters,” he said.

On his part, West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin called for political goodwill among leaders in the search for peace in the conflict prone areas to ensure development was realised.

The West Pokot Governor added that the county government would work closely with security organs to support peace activities in the region and provide reformed warriors with an alternative way to earn a living.

He further thanked the government for supporting the two communities through peace caravans and peace meetings along the border.