Elders from the Degodia community in Bangale and Tana North Sub-Counties, Tana River County have surrendered five AK 47 automatic rifles with several rounds of ammunition to local security agencies.
The guns with magazines containing 13 rounds of ammunitions were offered to the Tana River County Security team at Madogo police station as the government intensified operations to recover illegal guns in wrong hands
Tana River County commissioner Joseph Mwangi while receiving the cache thanked the elders from the Degodia community for heeding to the government’s 60 days arms amnesty call.
The grace period was issued 18 days ago by the Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha following a security meeting in Madogo to resolve the escalation in conflict between the Orma and the Degodia pastoral communities in Tana River County over pasture and water for livestock.
Mwangi called on elders from the Orma community to also start returning their illegally held firearms noting that at the expiry of the ultimatum the government will carry out a mass and forceful disarmament.
“I want to thank the elders from the Degodia for surrendering the arms and urge their counterparts from Orma community to do the same. I am happy that peace has continued to prevail since the ultimatum was issued and would like to encourage all other communities in the county to co-exist peacefully,” Mwangi said.
“We are alert as a government to ensure that the current prevailing peace is upheld now and into the future. Let no one think that he or she can disrupt the peace and get away with it,” he added.
The county commissioner was quick to note that the government will embark on a forceful disarmament if all illegally held firearms are not surrendered in the remaining 42 days.
“We have an inventory of all illegally held firearms among the communities in the county. We expect that at the end of the amnesty all these guns will have been surrendered,” he said.
The administrator said that the government will guarantee the security of all communities that will surrender their arms.
On his part, Elder Hussein Mohamed said the Degodia community was committed to surrender all illegally held firearms in their midst and also ready to live peacefully with their neighbours.
“We trust the government officials undertaking this process and are ready to work with them in ensuring that peace prevail within our communities,” Mohamed said.
“We are also in talks with our Orma counterparts to ensure that a lasting peace is reached among our people within the 42 remaining days and beyond,” he added.
by Jacob Songok
