This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
On February 20, 2019, in Nairobi, Firearms Licensing Board Chairman Charles Mukindia displays some of the guns confiscated from civilians during the ongoing vetting.
As of July 6, 2019, the government has declared 4,293 registered firearm holders 'armed and dangerous' after the expiry of a seven-day notice.
Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai announced the government's plan to mop up the firearms, describing them as 'illegal and in the wrong hands.'
President Uhuru Kenyatta has given the Firearms Registration Bureau, National Police Service, and the National Intelligence Service his full blessings to ensure there will be nowhere to hide for the individuals on the government's radar.
"I have directed the regional commanders to begin recovering the firearms and make arrests with immediate effect. An operation to apprehend, disarm, and charge the culprits will begin immediately," the IG ordered.
Security sources said those on the list, which has been distributed to regional commanders, are prominent businessmen, lawyers, and socialites who have been involved in gun dramas in the recent past.
Some of the licensed firearm holders who have been involved in gun-related incidents in recent years include musician CMB Prezzo, politician Steve Mbogo, former Nakuru Senator Paul Njoroge, businessman Paul Kobia, lawyer Assa Nyakundi, suspected gold fraudster Kevin Obia, and businessman Jimi Wanjigi.
Already, a number of firearm holders who did not turn up for vetting, especially politicians, have been thronging police stations to return their guns for fear of arrest.
By Friday, police stations across the country had received 50 guns while the Firearms Registration Bureau had received 64.
