This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
Kenya's Interior ministry has issued a seven-day notice to elected leaders who failed to show up for vetting or have fake firearm licences. The notice ends today, and those who do not comply risk being declared 'armed and dangerous'.
According to security sources, the government will begin mopping up guns from those who did not show up for vetting or have fake licences from next week. This move sets the stage for a potential political clash.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i warned that those holding fake firearm certificates or who failed to undergo vetting should report to the nearest police station and surrender their guns.
Several MPs have been involved in gun-related incidents in the past, and authorities say this abuse of parliamentary privilege will no longer be tolerated. Those whose guns are taken away will be charged with unlawful possession of firearms, a crime punishable by seven years in prison.
Despite the Head of State undergoing the vetting process and obtaining a new licence, many politicians ignored the order to undergo vetting, believing the law would be bent to accommodate them.
However, dozens of politicians have been seeking to know their fate at the Firearms Registration Bureau in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, and some have opted to surrender their firearms at police stations near their residences for fear of arrest.
On Wednesday, 13 politicians surrendered their guns at the Kileleshwa Police Station, and about a dozen others have since Monday surrendered their weapons at the Karen Police Station.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale urged his colleagues to comply with the requirements on gun licensing, while Minority Whip Junet Mohamed advised those with valid licences to validate them.
However, Majority Whip Ben Washiali disagreed, saying doing so would expose them to thugs and hitmen eyeing their seats.
