NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 23 – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered a nationwide vetting of county rangers following reports of firearm misuse, as the government moves to clamp down on illegal weapons in parts of Narok County.
Speaking after a security meeting in Siteti, Trans Mara South Sub-County, CS Murkomen said the Kenya Kwanza administration will not allow any part of the country to slide into lawlessness.
The session brought together National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) and security teams to coordinate interventions in Trans Mara West and Trans Mara South, where residents displaced by insecurity are being supported to return home.
“To achieve sustainable peace in the region, all illegal firearms in civilian hands in Kilgoris, Kuria East, Kuria West, and Emurua Dikirr constituencies must be surrendered to the government without delay,” Murkomen said.
He warned that those involved in the sale of illegal firearms and ammunition would face “decisive action.”
According to the Interior CS, five guns and fourteen rounds of ammunition have so far been voluntarily surrendered by civilians following President William Ruto’s directives issued yesterday.
Murkomen, however, described this as only a drop in the ocean,”noting that authorities estimate close to 100 illegal firearms remain in the area.
“Our security agencies have been given firm instructions to mop up all remaining illegal weapons,” he stated.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat and other senior officers accompanied Murkomen during the meeting.
The announcement comes amid heightened efforts by the Kenya Kwanza government to disarm illegal actors in Narok County and other parts of the country.
Ethnic Clashes
At least 1,800 people have been displaced and more than 250 households destroyed following renewed tribal clashes in Angata Barikkoi, Trans Mara South, Narok County.
In a statement, the Kenya Red Cross Society said the violence, which has escalated over the past three days, has left 253 households razed down, forcing families to flee their homes in search of safety.
“Tribal clashes in Angata Barikkoi, Trans Mara South, have displaced over 1,800 people in just three days. Families are seeking shelter in schools, dispensaries and open areas, with some sleeping under trees. Children, women and persons with disabilities are the most affected, with food stores destroyed by fire,” the Red Cross said.
The humanitarian agency added that it is currently on the ground conducting rapid assessments, offering psychosocial support to affected families and mobilising additional assistance to meet urgent needs.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the government on Saturday imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Transmara West and Transmara South, which police have declared disturbed areas.
The curfew affects several localities, including Nkararu, Oldonyo-Orok, Sitati and Ratiki.
Police confirmed that one person has been killed in the latest skirmishes, as security agencies move to restore calm and prevent further loss of life and destruction of property.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat visited the affected areas and issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the surrender of all illegal firearms in the region.
Lagat warned that individuals found culpable in fueling the violence would face the full force of the law, regardless of their social standing.
“All the inciters, regardless of their status in society, and all the financiers—we are going to treat them as criminals. We are going to arrest them and take them to court,” he said.
Authorities say security operations will continue alongside humanitarian interventions as efforts intensify to stabilise the region and support displaced families.
