Ten out of 3000 illegal guns registered in East Pokot

Ten guns were registered in East Pokot sub-County on Saturday following the government’s directive that all illegal guns in the hands of civilians countrywide be registered.

Though it is believed that there are more than 3,000 illegal guns in Tiaty sub-County, the registration of the ten is expected to pave the way for other gun owners to register theirs.

According to Baringo County Police Commandant Peter Okwanyo, the over 3,000 guns outnumber the guns held by police officers in the area, a situation that has complicated the work of security officials during conflict.

Mr Okwanyo noted that the move would help end the perennial conflict in the area and assured residents that they would be allowed to keep their guns after registering them, adding that they would not be harassed.

Okwanyo however gave the gun owners until April to register their arms.

Asman Kamama, the parliamentary committee on security chairman and area MP, noted that the aim of the exercise is to know the number of illegal guns in the hands of the locals and to monitor their use, adding that those found to be misusing their guns would be prosecuted.

Kamama also stated that those who register their guns would be recruited as Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) to help protect their communities.

On his part, Turkana East MP Nicholas Ngikor said that the area has no police posts and the guns in the hands of civilians have in a way protected the Kenyan borders.

He further condemned those using the guns to kill their neighbouring Kenyan communities.

“Some of these warriors inherited the guns from their elders while others buy them from the porous borders, they use them when raiding cattle but they are now the ones advocating for peace,” said the legislator.

The guns will be given back to their owners after an examination to determine whether they are usable or not as it was suspected that residents may surrender old unusable guns.

They were registered against their owner’s identification number, gun’s serial number and the number of ammunition one had in the magazine.

In the end of 2014, 22 administration police officers were ambushed and killed in Baragoi by suspected cattle rustlers.

By Evans Kimaiyo