4,293 gun owners across he country have been placed under the armed and dangerous criminal tag by the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai after they failed to surrender their firearms following a failure to turn up for a vetting process that was announced by the government earlier this year.
Last month, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i noted that records showed that the registered firearm holders are 13,805. The ones vetted were 9,398, and 4,407 didn’t turn up for the vetting process, and a 7 day period was given for the 4,407 to surrender. 1,493 firearms were withdrawn and 70 of them were semi-automatic rifles. The Firearms Licensing Board also withdrew 21,732 bullets that were in the hands of wrong people.
However, according to the Police IG, during the 7 day period given to the 4,407 to surrender their firearms, only 50 firearms were surrendered to the police and 64 to the Firearms Licensing Bureau, leaving 4,293 firearm owners, who have been deemed as dangerous. An operation to disarm and charge them has started. “The list of 4293 has already been submitted to all Regional Commanders. I have directed the Regional Commanders to begin recovering the firearms and make arrests with immediate effect,” read the statement from the Police IG.
Further, Interior CS Matiang’i had ordered the Firearms Licensing Board to stop issuance of certificates to gun dealers, with only 20 allowed to operate countrywide.
