Nairobi, Kenya, May 6- Security agencies repossessed 98 illegally held firearms in 2021 compared to 167 repossessed in 2020, a new report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed.
The Economic Survey 2022 released Thursday shows that out of the total firearms recovered, 64 were rifles, 27 pistols and 7 of the arms recovered were toy pistols.
According to the report, the number of firearms surrendered last year were 16 compared to 69 in 2020.
Police recovered 8,232 rounds of ammunition in 2021 up from 3,878 recovered in 2020 according to the KNBS.
“This was partly attributed to a particular major recovery that was done in September 2021 amounting to 2,040 ammunition,” the report read in part.
The report further revealed that the number of dangerous drugs seized increased from 10,909 kilograms in 2020 to 13,080 kilograms in 2021.
“The increase is attributed to the Presidential directive on illicit alcohol and drugs that led to the establishment of a multi-agency team that conducted crackdowns across the country,” KNBS stated.
KNBS said that the total number of crimes reported to police across the country rose by 16.7 percent in the last 1 year, according to a new report.
The survey indicates that the total crime reported to law enforcement agencies increased from 69, 645 in 2020 to 81, 272 in 2021.
The report revealed that the total number of persons reported to the police for crimes related to dangerous drugs, criminal damage, economic crimes, corruption, and offenses involving police officers increased by 42.5 percent from 10,706 in 2020 to 15,255 in 2021.
According to KNBS, the total number of persons reported to have committed robbery, breaking, and theft rose by 34.6 percent from 19,103 in 2020 to 25,721 in 2021, with stealing accounting for the highest share at 47.3 percent of the total.
The persons reported to have committed theft of vehicles and other thefts, theft of stock, breaking, and theft by servant Increased by 65.2, 31.2, 23.4, and 19.9 percent respectively.
Robbery cases declined by 6.5 per cent to 2,734 during the same period.
The report further said that the number of persons reported to the police for crimes related to dangerous drugs, criminal damage, economic crimes, corruption and offences involving police officers increased by 42.5 per cent from 10,706 in 2020 to 15,255 in 2021.
