Murkomen blames rogue officers for illegal gun trade in bandit-prone regions

Some police officers deployed to conflict-hit areas are directly involved in the illegal supply of firearms and ammunition to bandits, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said.

Speaking in Baringo County, Murkomen revealed that the government is facing serious challenges in tracing ammunition use during security operations, especially in regions plagued by insecurity, where some officers divert bullets and guns for sale.

“This is a fact because we also have rogue police officers and rogue government officials who are facilitators. Targeted intelligence-led investigations have seen several people being charged in court, and some have even been convicted or fired from the government,” said the CS.

Murkomen made the remarks on Saturday at the Baringo County Commissioner’s office in Kabarnet during a press briefing ahead of the Jukwaa La Usalama public engagement forum at the Baringo National Polytechnic.

He said the situation is worsened by the lack of systems to monitor the number of bullets used during gunfights with bandits.

The CS described a case where police responding to an attack with an armoured vehicle claimed to have fired over 1,000 bullets, yet such figures are hard to confirm.

“How will you account for that? If you have a rogue officer, they will always find a way to prove their claims. Some will tell you they used 1,000 bullets, and maybe they used only 50, then they sell the rest. Rogue officers will get away with it because where they operate is the bush. You may not know the number of bullets they used,” the CS said.

The Interior boss said the government is now depending on intelligence reports and public tip-offs to identify corrupt officers and ensure they face legal consequences.

“We will use intelligence-led reports to get those officers who are rogue, and civilians normally report the cases. When we find the suspects, the necessary legal processes are used to ensure they are dealt with,” he stated.

Murkomen also disclosed that civilians, including some professionals from affected communities, are also involved in selling guns and bullets.

He said he has personally warned several individuals engaging in such illegal dealings and promised a firm crackdown.

“We do not want to encourage the selling of firearms in any part of our country, let alone this county,” the CS said.

The CS added that some residents are using the threat of bandit attacks as an excuse to buy illegal firearms for personal protection, a move that is often pushed by local leaders. He urged residents not to be misled into arming themselves illegally.

“The temptation usually comes in when a village has been attacked by bandits, and the leaders incite the locals to procure guns in the name of defending themselves. I am discouraging that. I am very firm and ruthless, even in my own village,” he said.

Murkomen warned that the government will not tolerate any excuse for civilians to possess illegal weapons, and assured that the State is determined to restore peace through lawful means.

Other Topics To Read

• National
• Banditry attacks
• north rift insecurity
• banditry kenya
• north rift banditry
• rogue police officers
• Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen
• Baringo insecurity
• Kerio Valley insecurity
• Murkomen blames rogue officers for illegal gun trade in bandit-prone regions
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“We will not accept that, and there is no justification to own an illegal gun. Let the government do its part, and if we have failed before, we have now come out to assure you that we will do everything possible to make sure the place is peaceful. I am not saying this for public relations but to restore sanity once and for all,” he said.

He also linked the ongoing insecurity to the absence of police stations in some parts of Baringo, especially in Tiaty Constituency, which remains one of the hardest-hit areas.

To address this, Murkomen announced the establishment of seven new police stations in Tiaty, with construction of four set to begin before the end of the year.

“We will set up seven police stations in the constituency to restore sanity, and four of them will be constructed before December. They will be set up in the far-flung areas. You can imagine Silale Ward, which is claimed to be harbouring criminals but has no police station,” he said.