Rift Valley regional coordinator Wanyama Musiambo has appealed to North Rift residents in possession of firearms to register them or surrender them to the government.
According to Musiambo, this is part of the government’s efforts in restoring peace in the region following communal clashes witnessed in the past.
‘We are asking people with unregistered firearms in the volatile areas in the four counties in this region to use amnesty extension to register or voluntarily submit them to the government. All we want is to curb lawlessness in the areas by ensuring we update data on all firearms in procession of citizens,’ Musiambo stated.
The regional coordinator who addressed journalists in his office on Tuesday also attributed the cattle rustling menace that has since claimed two lives in Elgeyo Marakwet County last week to illegal firearms in possession of herders in the county.
‘Many herders are in possession of illegal firearms and this has been a key driver to cattle rustling activities in Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Baringo and Turkana counties. This is why we are determined to have the statistics of those in possession for easy monitoring,’ Musiambo further explained.
He, however, affirmed that the region is enjoying relative calm and schools previously closed due to cattle rustling in Baringo County are in operation.