Police arrest father and son, seize arms tied to Kerio Valley violence
A cache of arms recovered by police in Elgeyo Marakwet County.. A cache of arms recovered by police in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Police are treating a man his son as arms suppliers suspects in the Kerio Valley insecurity.
Police in Marakwet East sub-county on Sunday evening arrested a man and his 17-year-old son and seized an assortment of weapons, including 76 rounds of ammunition and a banned industrial chemical.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Maalim Mohamed said the two suspects had been on police radar in connection with insecurity in the Kerio Valley.
“The duo is among a group of 350 people we have profiled in connection with the ongoing skirmishes in the Kerio Valley belt. We are also determined to mop up all illegal arms the profiled individuals have,” said Mr Mohamed.
A statement from the National Police Service (NPS) said security officers acting on intelligence conducted a sting operation at the home of Mr Abraham Kiptum in Kaben village, Kaben location, Tot division, Marakwet East sub-county.
“After conducting a thorough search in his residence, the officers [found] the following items: 76 rounds of ammunition, seven empty magazines of AK-47, four empty magazines of G3, one AK-47 pouch and one side pouch,” said the NPS statement.
Other items seized included two angola shirts, one jungle green lanyard, a banned industrial chemical called Furon 5GR, an inspectorate pullover, one jungle green trouser, 43 arrows, seven bows, three quivers and assorted personal items, the NPS said.
Following the operation, the security team arrested Mr Abraham Kiptum and his son Brandon Kilimo and escorted them with the seized items to the Tot Police Station.
“The arrest is part of the ongoing security operation in the Kerio Valley belt and we are lauding members of the public to continue volunteering information to police. So far we have arrested more than 100 people and confiscated several motorcycles and vehicles which have been used in abetting insecurity in the region,” he disclosed.
The NPS has lauded members of the public for being vigilant and passing information to security agencies. “We urge them to continue cooperating with security officers in the spirit of community policing in order to completely restore peace and security in the area,” said the NPS.
Mr Mohamed said the security operation in the Kerio Valley, including the dusk-to-dawn curfew, had led to the arrests of suspects who wanted to flee the region.
“The government is determined to restore order in the Kerio Valley and will stop at nothing until peace is achieved. We are calling on those who still possess illegal guns to surrender them because ultimately we will come to get them,” he said.
“Those who voluntarily surrender them will undergo a rehabilitation programme but those who fail will be arrested and face the law.”
