Garissa: Elders from the Degodia community in Bangale and Tana North Sub-Counties, Tana River County have surrendered five AK 47 automatic rifles with several rounds of ammunition to local security agencies.

According to Kenya News Agency, the firearms, equipped with magazines holding 13 rounds of ammunition, were handed over to the Tana River County Security team at Madogo police station. This action aligns with the government’s intensified efforts to retrieve illegal firearms from unauthorized holders.

Tana River County Commissioner Joseph Mwangi expressed gratitude to the Degodia community elders for responding to the government’s 60-day arms amnesty initiative. The grace period was announced 18 days earlier by Coast Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha following a security meeting in Madogo aimed at addressing conflicts between the Orma and Degodia pastoral communities over resources such as pasture and water.

Mwangi urged the Orma community elders to follow suit by surrendering their illegally held firearms. He emphasized that failure to comply would result in a mass and forceful disarmament at the end of the ultimatum. He acknowledged the prevailing peace since the ultimatum and encouraged all communities in Tana River County to maintain harmonious coexistence.

The county commissioner reiterated the government’s commitment to sustaining peace and warned against any attempts to disrupt it. He remarked that the government is prepared to take decisive action if the illegal firearms are not surrendered during the remaining 42 days of the amnesty.

Mwangi assured that the government has an inventory of all illegally held firearms in the county and expects full compliance by the end of the amnesty period. He also guaranteed the security of communities that voluntarily surrender their arms.

Elder Hussein Mohamed of the Degodia community affirmed their commitment to surrendering all illegal firearms and emphasized their readiness to live peacefully with neighboring communities. He mentioned ongoing discussions with the Orma community to ensure lasting peace is achieved within the remaining days of the amnesty and beyond.