Police face uphill task in disarming Tana Delta

Police in clash-hit Tana Delta district have intensified the disarmament exercise as the ultimatum issued by Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo to willingly surrender the illegal weapons expires.

Officer in charge of Rural Border Patrol Unit Mr Patrick Mwaniki on Monday said his team has heightened operation to recover guns to avert any more clashes in the future.

Mr Mwaniki said he has met leaders from the two warring communities, but the main challenge police were facing is lack of voluntary information from both the people which might help them (police) in ensuring the war ends.

“We have recovered 21 guns which were illegally owned by the locals but we are going for the eight which were stolen from the government when attackers raided Kilelengwani and killed 52 people including nine General Service Unit officers,” said Mr Mwaniki.

He added, “We have been lenient to them for a very long time but if people disobey our request to surrender the guns willingly, we shall deploy all government machinery so as to recover them.”

Mr Mwaniki said they have a lead on the whereabouts of the G3 which were stolen after suspected Pokomo raiders raided GSU camp on September last year.

“We are have a community policing team and that of quick response and we are prepared for the task to recover the guns,” he said.

According to an announcement made by Mr Kimaiyo late last month, the police are planning to use force to get firearms illegally being owned by locals beginning this month.

Mr Kimaiyo assured his officers who have been deployed to carry out the disarmament exercise that they would not be victimised while on duty as long as they disarm the raiders who have defied the orders according to the law.

Mr Kimaiyo at the same time warned some politicians and business people who have been suspected to be financers and planners of the attacks who are living in major towns will be trailed.

According to intelligence report, Tana Delta residents have been receiving threats from their colleagues from major towns such as Mombasa in Kisauni, Malindi and Nairobi not to divulge any information regarding attacks and not to surrender any firearms.

“We have information that some people living in major towns are interfering with the disarmament exercise but we are warning them that the government will go for them,” said Mr Adoli in an earlier interview.