Criminals terrorising residents in Kuria East Sub County of Migori County have been put on notice to surrender all illegal firearms in their possession or face the long arm of the government.
At the same time, the government has asked the local Kuria community to refrain from engaging in unnecessary land disputes with Kipsigis and Maasai people living in the Transmara area of Narok County.
The notice was issued by Migori County Commissioner (CC) Mutua Kisilu, following complaints from local leaders over endless cases of killings related to land disputes, heightened cattle thefts and the general insecurity ongoing in the region.
While addressing Madaraka day celebrations at Kegonga Primary School in Kuria East, Mr. Kisilu said that the security team in the area was aware of the many disputes over land boundaries around Gwitembe and Kwiho areas, which have been made worse by the existence of the illegal firearms.
He said that enough time has been given to criminals to hand over the illegal arms to the government, warning those who will fail to do so would blame themselves.
He asked the leadership in the area to convince all those in possession of such weapons to return them to the government for safekeeping.
He said the government will never again tolerate cases of violent robberies committed by criminal gangs who are well known within the community.
“We are aware of the secrecy that the community holds to protect people who are well known to be holding these dangerous weapons.
And now we want you to tell them to surrender these weapons voluntarily before we come for them,” Mr. Kisilu said.
He said the Kuria community should seriously embrace the aspect of community policing through the ‘Nyumba Kumi’ initiative to help identify the bad elements amongst it.
Criminals from the community should not take advantage of their relatives across the common borders to smuggle in weapons that they use to harass innocent residents.
He regretted that the guns had been used to promote small-time cattle thefts along the common borders of Kuria –Maasai/Kipsigis and Kuria-Luo communities, completely jeopardising peace and development in the region.
“The security team in this area has in the past managed to recover a number of illegal firearms, but we are aware there are still many in the hands of criminals, which we would mop up as soon as possible,” he stressed.
He called for peaceful co-existence between the Kuria people and their neighbours in Kenya and Tanzania living along the common borders.
By George Agimba
