Inside the government's failed disarmament in banditry-prone North Rift 

When the government launched a massive disarmament in the banditry-prone counties in the North Rift five months ago, elders and professionals from the targeted areas saw it as an exercise in futility.

The gun mop-up -- a bid to smoke out armed criminals --  also elicited reactions from experts and residents who claimed that disarmaments have been carried out in the region over the years but more attacks are reported and communities continue to smuggle in more illegal guns.

The state resorted to disarmament in January, after the killing of more than 10 people in a span of one week in Kapedo, Turkana East. Among those killed were senior security officers deployed in the war-torn area.

They were Superintendent of Police Emadau Tebakol, Chief Inspector Moses Lekariab and a driver, Police Constable Benson Kaburu, who were shot by armed criminals suspected to be from the neighbouring Tiaty. 

Following the spate of attacks, hundreds of security officers were deployed in Tiaty East, Tiaty West and Turkana East sub-counties to seize illegal guns, recover stolen livestock and arrest armed criminals wreaking havoc in the region.

The guns mop-up was ordered in the insecurity prone Ameyan, Paka, Silale, Nadome, Komolion, Kapau, Toplen, Chesitet, Nakoko, Riong’o, Akwichatis, Nasorot, Lomelo, Lokori and Kapedo.

Close to 80 guns have been seized in the ongoing security operation in Baringo, Turkana, Laikipia and Samburu counties, which has gobbled up millions of shillings spent on food, fuel and ammunition by the security officers involved. 

Though the few guns were seized, there are no records of criminals who were arrested during the disarmament, just as there were none arrested the previous years.

However, locals claim that thousands of illegal guns are still in the hands of civilians in the region – both criminals and residents who want to shield themselves from attacks from their neighbours, a scenario that has led to proliferation of arms over the years. This has led to an increase in cattle raids and banditry on the roads and villages. 

On March 23, Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya announced a one-month temporary suspension of the disarmament, to give room to negotiation among leaders and locals from the Pokot community as requested.

Disarming criminals

Before the one-month grace period to allow peace meetings and surrender of guns elapsed, more than four attacks were reported in the three counties over a period of two days, prompting the government to resume the disarmament.

“Local leaders from the Pokot community in Baringo and West Pokot had requested a one-month grace period to dialogue with the locals in the banditry-prone areas and recover the illegal guns, but the exercise did not bear fruit after four attacks were reported in the zoned counties. Through the peace meetings by the political leaders, only three guns were recovered,” said Mr Natembeya then, while announcing return of the disarmament. 

He confirmed to the Nation that though they have the names of suspected criminals, getting them was no easy task.

“Those in possession of the arms have gone into hiding -- areas that are volatile and impassable for vehicles, making it a major impediment, owing to the rough terrain and thick bushes,” said Mr Natembeya.

Attacks continue to be reported despite a contingent of security officers and multi-agency teams deployed to disarm the criminals.

More than 10 attacks have been reported in the volatile Kiserian, Chemorong’ion, Arabal and Mukutani villages in Baringo South in one month alone, which has seen the killing of four people, including a military officer, and hundreds of livestock driven away by armed criminals.

In the absence of effective and accessible state security in these areas, small arms are naturally seen as a guarantor of security in such areas.

Illegal gun movements in the country happen in secret and are difficult to document because most of the weapons entering Kenya's illegal market appear to be trickling in or are transported by small-scale traders. 

Local leaders, clergy and professionals in the banditry prone areas have insisted that disarmament will not yield fruits in the seizure of illegal guns, asking instead for the government to involve them and the community by embracing dialogue and providing tentacles of reaching out to the armed bandits.

Colonel (Rtd) Moses Kwonyike, who also served as a military adviser, and head of United Nations (UN) African Mission in Darfur claimed that the government cannot achieve its target of seizing illegal guns if it has not mapped the targeted areas to know how many guns are in the hands of civilians. 

Forcible disarmament

“The government should use the bottom-up approach in reaching out to the elders instead of carrying out a forcible disarmament. You cannot purport to carry out such an exercise without knowing their armoury. The elders are the main perpetrators of the perennial menace because they bless and give morale and protection to the armed bandits in their mission,” said Col (Rtd) Kwonyike.

As a solution to the perennial cattle rustling menace, the retired soldier is recommending stringent measures of what he called a “massive marshal plan”.                           

“They should reach out to the main perpetrators; the elders who bless these criminals, fix the chiefs in the banditry prone areas by making them accountable for what is happening in their jurisdictions and also initiate forcible schooling. Forcible seizure of guns is a waste of time and resources,” said the ex-soldier.

Mr Judah Losutan, an elder, also raised concern about how the disarmament is being carried out, saying, “You will not get guns by harassing civilians, instead of using intelligence to get to those bandits.”

The clergy has also waded in, calling on the government to use a different approach.

Nakuru Catholic Diocese Bishop Maurice Muhatia wondered why there was proliferation of firearms in the region since time immemorial despite calls by the government for people to surrender them.

“The best way to disarm people is by taking development to those marginalised areas so that people will not be fighting with neighbouring communities for the limited resources,” said Bishop Muhatia.

He also called for school enrolment in the area to be improved as a counter-measure to banditry. 

Hundreds of suspected criminals, whose names had been forwarded to the Provincial Administration, fled the region after they got wind of the plans. 

Chiefs in the porous regions who had been ordered by the Provincial Administration to hunt down the criminals and seize illegal guns spoke of an exercise that was not for the faint-hearted.

Sophisticated firearms

“You can imagine looking for armed criminals who have sophisticated firearms yet we are not armed ourselves. Though we are putting our efforts to seize the illegal guns in a bid to bring normality in the troubled areas, it is not that easy,” said Lokis Chief Johnston Long’iro. 

The administrators said they involve the village elders, who in turn plead with the suspected criminals to voluntarily surrender the guns. 

Most of them, especially those who have committed killings, are reluctant to surrender the guns for fear that they might be tracked down for the heinous acts.

A chief from Kerio Valley, who has also come face-to-face with the criminals, claims that wanted suspects flee to other areas and change their names.

“Most of the armed criminals have no identification cards purposely to hide from the authorities just in case their crimes are known. The few who have IDs flee to remote areas where they cannot be tracked and they change their names, paralysing efforts to catch them. Most disappear for several years and you will not see them again,” said the chief who did not want to be named.

Mr Ali Etukan claimed that several attacks have been staged by criminals suspected to be from a neighbouring community amid the ongoing security operation.

“Several disarmaments have been carried out in this area over the years. We were expecting to hear that the thousands of illegal guns in the hands of civilians had been seized but what we get is bandits shooting at security officers meant to restore order. This is absurd,” said Mr Etukan. 

During a peace forum at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort in March, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo was categorical that only homegrown solutions will yield peace in the banditry-prone counties in the North Rift.

MP Mark Lomunokol (Kacheliba) and West Pokot County Assembly Speaker Catherine Mukenyang said that instead of achieving its purpose, forcible seizure of guns was hardening armed criminals.

“We are very sure that the strategy to bring on board the community in the seizure of illegal guns would yield fruits. The government has the machinery to seize the guns, but I am very sure that they will not get them by using force. How many have been recovered since the operation started? That is a wake-up call that we need to employ other strategies,” said Mr Lomunokol. 

Massive operation

Former Baringo East MP Joseph Lotodo, supported calls for a different approach. 

“Local problems need local solutions. I served as a legislator in the Moi era and there was a time that a massive operation was launched in this region. Few guns were surrendered and we finally opted for dialogue and using elders to reach the criminals and it worked,” said Mr Lotodo.

Tiaty MP William Kamket recently complained that the operation had deviated from its target of looking for criminals.

“The government, which is expected to protect civilians, has turned out to be a terrorist because it is instilling fear in innocent people. What is the difference between them and the same criminals they are purporting to be pursuing? Why did they not involve us or the chiefs if they were actually pursuing criminals? Unless they tell us they have different agenda,” said Mr Kamket. 

Mr Julius Akeno, the author of Patrons of Wild Suguta Valley, says the insecurity in the area can only be addressed by the people themselves.

He recalled a week-long security tour that former President Daniel Moi conducted in the area and which climaxed in a big security meeting in Kapedo. 

At some point during his address, military jet fighters flew low over the meeting, emitting a very high-pitched piercing sound that gave way to deep a rumbling sound as the jets receded in the horizon.

President Moi turned to the people and warned them that unless they surrendered their guns, he would send several of those jets to the area. Everyone was terrified because they had never seen anything like that before. 

These 1978 and 1979 operations, however, did not stop the war between Turkana and Pokot, Mr Akeno noted.

“In fact, it became fiercer as more guns got into people's hands. Other operations followed, chiefs and the elders were involved, with the reinforcement of the police. Many guns were collected, but as they are taken out by the government and people given certificates of surrender, the owners of the certificates acquired new guns to replace the surrendered ones, because the gun means life and death to them,” he added.

[email protected]