Revealed: How bandits obtain M16 rifles 

When Rift Valley regional coordinator George Natembeya last month claimed that bandits in Laikipia were using sophisticated weapons, many did not believe him.

But on October 12, security officers killed a suspected cattle rustler and recovered an M16 rifle with 25 rounds of ammunition in Longewan, Samburu West.

Samburu County Police Commander Samson Ogelo said the man was part of a gang that had raided the area and driven away 27 heads of cattle, which were later recovered.

Police arrested Dakitari Lokombayo and presented him in a Maralal court last Tuesday, where they were given two weeks to conclude investigations.

On Friday, police in Samburu recovered two assault rifles, an AK-47 and FN FAL, in Parikati area, after foiling a cattle raid. The firearms had 20 and 14 rounds of ammunition, respectively. One ranger was killed.

“While our security officers are using standard AK-47 and G3 rifles, they are using M16 and other military weapons. We don’t know how they get them,” Natembeya observed, adding that politicians were to blame. 

“Intelligence reports indicate that bandits receive their supplies of sophisticated weapons and food from their leaders in support of Moranism.”

Investigations by the Nation show that the weapons come from several sources, including the Ethiopian rebels, Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). They are smuggled in through porous borders.

“Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have launched investigations to unravel how the assault guns find their way into the country,” a senior DCI officer told the Nation.

Illegal firearms

“One of the M16 rifles recovered on Tuesday had a sticker with a flag of a neighbouring country. It was manufactured in the US,” he added.

Gun laws are strict in Kenya. Getting one requires several background checks and interviews. Yet pastoralist communities, where government security presence is rare, drive demand for guns in the black market. 

Gangs supported by prominent people and politicians acquire assault rifles at between Sh5000 and Sh20,000, or two cows, depending on the firearm.

“It’s easy to access guns because we are surrounded by countries in conflict. One of the sources is South Sudan, where local communities sell them for food. Others include Ethiopia, Somalia and Uganda. Bandits are aided by politicians and businessmen who support rustling,” said a source.

The Deputy Director of the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Mr Charles Owino, said the government is determined to win the war against illegal firearms.

“We expect other East African countries like Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and the 15 countries that are members of the Nairobi Protocol for the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa to fulfil their obligations in the war against the proliferation of illegal firearms in the region. They have to mark all state and civilian arms,” he said.

The smuggling of weapons is a key driver of politically motivated conflicts, especially among pastoralist communities.

They have caused thousands of deaths and injuries, displacement and forced migration of people; it has also hampered development, heightened insecurity and resulted in loss of livestock.

Porous borders

In Laikipia, bandit attacks in the past two months have claimed at least 15 lives. Forces are engaged in a major operation to flush out bandits who have caused havoc in Ol Moran area.

Security analyst Kiyo Ng’ang’a said the solution is sealing the porous borders.

“Disarmaments won’t help; the government must stop smuggling of the illegal firearms from other countries. The M16 is a military rifle with an effective shooting range of 400-800 metres. It’s relatively light,” he said.

Mr Richard Otieno, another security expert, added: “It’s a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the US military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56x45mm assault rifle. It can fire 45-60 bullets per minute.”

In 1964, the M16 entered US military service and the following year, it was deployed for jungle warfare operations during the Vietnam War. It has been widely adopted by armed forces around the world.

Total worldwide production of M16s is approximately eight million, making it the most-produced firearm of its 5.56mm caliber.

A 2016 report revealed that there are more than 600,000 illicit arms in Kenya among the pastoralist communities.

This year, officials say there are around 700,000 illegal guns around the country, most of them smuggled in from Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Sudan.