• The recovery was made by local agents, led by the Border Patrol Unit, which had flagged down county government vehicles.
•The vehicle that was found with the rifle had a county government registration number and four suspects were arrested.
Image: FILE
Police are looking for a Marsabit MCA after Saturday’s recovery of a rifle and 10 bullets in an operation in Turbi area.
Eastern Regional police boss Noah Mwivanda said the MCA escaped in a four wheel drive car that had an unknown number of guns and bullets.
“The MCA has until the end of the day to surrender or we declare him an armed and dangerous person,” said Mwivanda.
He added they recovered the weapon as it was being distributed to local clan to fan fighting.
He said there is a terror cell coming up in the area hence the ongoing operation to tame it.
The recovery was made by local agents, led by the Border Patrol Unit, which had flagged down county government vehicles.
The vehicle that was found with the rifle had a county government registration number and four suspects were arrested.
Police flew a team of detectives to the scene on Sunday to reinforce the probe into the claims of sale and supply of firearms that are causing mayhem in the area.
Sources said there is a plan to question top local leaders over the new developments.
Last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the government will launch a disarmament exercise in Marsabit and all the neighboring counties as part of the progressive long-term vision for peace and security for the region.
Matiang’i said this is in response to the evolving fragility of the situation, which has been aggravated by toxic battles for supremacy by scheming politicians and tribal animosity.
Speaking in the National Assembly where he had been invited by the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security to deliberate on increased insecurity in the county, Matiang’i noted that possession of illegal firearms among the communities has been a major contributory factor to the frequent inter-communal conflicts in the county.
He added the police are hot on the heels of the perpetrators and some leaders who have been arming them.
“During the last voluntary disarmament exercise, 342 firearms were surrendered. However, many more weapons still remain in the hands of the locals,” he said.
Matiang’i said the trend is hinged on the longstanding culture of revenge attacks.
He also took issue with the partisan approach to the conflict by leaders, who take sides in favour of their communities.
According to the CS, competition for the control of power and county resources has also been intensifying since 2013 when implementation of devolution began. I
n his presentation, he described the conflict as “a costly affair” that has led to avoidable loss of lives, displacement of local populations, malicious destruction of property, and disruption of economic activities in the county.
“Plans are underway to operationalize the recommended police stations and posts in the vast county. The officers will also be provided with adequate modern equipment, including armoured vehicles, dog units, and even drones.”
The government also plans to delocalize police personnel born and working in the county.
Moreover, various agencies, led by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) have begun monitoring social media and vernacular FM stations to check for inciting messages for further action.
Committee chairman Paul Koinange, prescribed the stepping up of the convention of security and community peace meetings to complement police crackdown on perpetrators and sponsors of the clashes.
Several people have in the recent months been killed in the area and others displaced in inter clan clashes.