Govt revokes Kalonzo, Mudavadi gun licences

National Police Service Spokesman Charles Owino on January 31, 2018 addresses the media outside Nasa co-leader Kalonzo Musyoka's Karen residence where a stun hand grenade was hurled. Kalonzo's gun licence has been revoked. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • National Police Spokesman Charles Owino said those affected would be disarmed because they belong to an outlawed organisation.
  • Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i cited Prevention of Organised Crimes Act 2010 in declaring NRM illegal.

The government on Thursday extended the crack down on politicians allied to the National Resistance Movement, an arm of opposition Nasa, after it revoked their firearm licences.

The co-principals, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi, said they were accosted with letters at their gates, telling them their firearm licences had been revoked.

Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati’s licence was also withdrawn after being issued with a similar letter signed by Chief Licensing Officer Samuel Kimaru.

REVOKED
National Police Spokesman Charles Owino said those affected would be disarmed because they belong to an outlawed organisation.

“They first took away my security, then my home was attacked with a hand grenade and two bullets shot from an AK47 the next day.

"Now they have come for the last thing I could use to defend myself,” Mr Musyoka told journalists at the Okoa Kenya offices in Nairobi.

Police are still investigating a dawn attack on Mr Musyoka’s home on Wednesday morning, a day after Nasa leader Raila Odinga’s 'oath' taking at Uhuru Park.

OUTLAWED
Mr Mudavadi, for his part, said he had received a letter informing him of the revocation of the licence.

“I have owned a firearm since 1993. And I am a proper citizen. In those years, I have never used it once, in any incident. Then, out of the blue, they write to me now to revoke that licence,” Mr Mudavadi said.

Mr Owino said: “NRM is a proscribed organisation through a gazette notice issued by the Cabinet Secretary.

"If you are a member of an illegal group and you have not denounced it you cannot be allowed to possess a firearm.

"There is no way a government can arm members of an illegal organisation otherwise we would be contradicting ourselves.”

SHABAAB
He went on: “And if we had given someone security, it is equivalent to arming him because security officers carry guns. If it is misused we would have ourselves to blame.”

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i cited Prevention of Organised Crimes Act 2010 in declaring NRM illegal.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 of the Act, the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government declares National Resistance Movement (NRM) to be organised criminal group for the purposes of the Act,” according to the January 30, gazette notice.

In doing so, the CS placed NRM on a list that also includes Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda.

Other groups like Mungiki, which has been involved in murders and kidnappings, are also in the list.