Isiolo Sub County Security and Intelligence Committee has received 15 rifles and 22 rounds of ammunition that were surrendered through the influence of community elders.
Deputy County Commissioner Mr. Patrick Musango confirmed that the voluntary surrender had been going on for the last four months in the area.
Musango said that Ngaremara elders and herders had volunteered nine firearms and 13 rounds of ammunition through their chiefs and area elders.
The DCC added that Leparua elders from Oldonyiro Ward surrendered two AK 47 rifles with seven rounds of ammunition to local security teams. Two homemade rifles were recovered by security officers while on normal patrols at Kulamawe estate in Bulapesa Ward, Isiolo town.
The administrator said that the arms’ surrender shows that wananchi were now working closely with local chiefs and cases of livestock theft have been reduced and several stolen animals recovered.
He attributed the isolated cases of insecurity in the area to the presence of firearms in wrong hands and warned that the government would deal with those criminals.
He appealed to local residents to continue surrendering illegal firearms to the authority adding those volunteering them would pardoned
Musango urged chiefs and their assistants and the ‘nyumba kumi elders’ to expose criminals in the villages by using SMS to senior security officers and forward the same texts to his office for ease of following up.
The DCC said that the government would also pardon herders who wished to surrender firearms adding they would be taken for rehabilitation by taking them Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to get skills and improve their livelihood.
Musango said that through ‘Ufugaji Bora Mashinani’ programme, over 300 herders from 10 conservancies within four Counties of Marsabit, Samburu, Laikipia and Isiolo have undertaken various artisan courses funded by Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT) in partnership with the National government.
He warned politicians to support the government’s effort to fight security challenges in their areas of representation so that the electorates could freely go about their businesses without fear.
By Abduba Mamo
