The government expects the National Police Reservists (NPR) to bolster the on-going mop up of illegal firearms suspected to be in the hands of civilians in Marsabit County.
County commissioner Evans Achoki said the county has 787 reservists on the government payroll who should assist in recovering unlawful weapons in wrong hands.
Addressing 180 police reservists from Marsabit Central Sub-County at the county headquarters Friday, Achoki said intelligence findings have it that there were 250 illegal guns among residents of the sub-county.
The county commissioner asked the reservists who are on government payroll to help in persuading those holding the illegal firearms surrender them to the nearest security agencies before the on-going operation catches up with them.
He reminded them that they were the eyes of the government in the villages and should voluntarily pass useful information about security to the authorities.
“If our request for the voluntary surrender of the about 250 guns will not be forth coming, we shall visit you and not for a cup of tea,” cautioned Achoki, who was accompanied by the county police commander Steve Oloo.
He urged police reservists to lead the pack in the on-going exercise because they were all inducted in security matters, adding that those found inactive in complimenting maintenance of law would be struck off the payroll.
“The government cannot continue parting with over Sh 3.73 million per month to sustain people who are not performing their duties as expected,” he said, while calling on NPR to prove their worth by mobilizing the surrender of the firearms.
The commander of NPR in the sub-county Shukri Huka assured that the reservists will cooperate and support the retrieval of illegal firearms in the hands of civilians.
By Sebastian Miriti
