More than 2,000 firearms and 15,000 rounds of ammunition have been recovered from bandits and terrorists during ongoing multi-agency security operations across Kenya, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has disclosed.
Murkomen said the recoveries were among the results of operations targeting armed criminal groups, particularly in northern Kenya and areas along the country’s borders.
He made the remarks on Thursday during a visit to the Special Operations Group (SOG) training facility at Kamanga in Samburu County.
The Cabinet Secretary was at the facility to preside over the graduation of 122 officers who had completed six-and-a-half months of specialised training. The officers formed the 11th graduating class of the elite Special Operations Group.
Murkomen used the occasion to commend SOG officers for their contribution to efforts against banditry, terrorism and organised crime.
He said the unit has continued to play a role in tackling violent extremism, disrupting criminal networks and addressing security threats across different parts of the country.
The CS also highlighted SOG’s involvement in dealing with cross-border threats and drug trafficking. He said the unit’s operations, conducted jointly with other security agencies, had helped improve security in communities that have previously experienced cattle rustling and violent attacks.
According to Murkomen, residents in some areas that were once heavily affected by banditry are now able to carry on with their daily activities with greater security following the multi-agency operations.
During the visit, the Interior CS toured the SOG training facilities and received briefings on operations being conducted against armed criminal groups in northern Kenya and along border regions.
It was during the briefing that the scale of the weapons recovered in the security operations was highlighted. Murkomen described the seizure of more than 2,000 guns and 15,000 rounds of ammunition as evidence of the work being carried out by the specialised unit and other security agencies.
“At Kamanga, Samburu County, I was pleased to see firsthand the rigorous training that makes SOG effective and some of the results of their good work: more than 2,000 guns and 15,000 rounds of ammunition seized from bandits and terrorists,” Murkomen said.
The Cabinet Secretary further pledged that the government would continue investing in the security sector. He said efforts would focus on modernising security infrastructure, providing officers with better equipment and improving their welfare.
The graduation ceremony was attended by senior security officials, among them National Intelligence Service Director General Noordin Ali and Administration Police Service Deputy Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli.
The recoveries come as security agencies continue with multi-agency operations in areas affected by banditry and illegal firearms. Earlier disarmament exercises in the Kerio Valley and North Rift regions have also formed part of wider government efforts to address insecurity linked to armed groups and illegal weapons.