Govt launch operation to mop up illegal firearms in Tana River
By People Daily Digital Reporter, July 9, 2026The Coast Regional Security Committee has launched a massive security operation to mop up 123 illegally held firearms in 11 locations within Bangale and Tana North sub-counties, Tana River County.
Addressing chiefs and their assistants together with community elders from the locations in Madogo, the Coast regional commissioner Paul Rotich said the government ‘can no longer sit back and watch as communities continue to kill each other’.
The operation follows the lapse in the 60-day amnesty issued in February by the government for the surrender of illegally held firearms and a deadly intercommunity clash in Bangale last month that left 6 people dead.
Bangale OCS also died from a cardiac arrest as he led a team of security officers in pursuing the gunmen behind the killing of the 6 victims.
“We gave you enough time in February this year to surrender the firearms. We further warned of a forceful disarmament, but you downplayed it. I have come today to announce the commencement of the operation,” Rotich said.
Rotich issues final warning
The regional commissioner, however, said that if the firearms in the wrong hands are surrendered, then the operation will be called off.
Rotich read out the locations and the number of firearms each was supposed to surrender. Bangale leads with 37 firearms, followed by Chewelle with 22, Areri with 13, and Duka Notu with 10. Others are Hirimani 9, Madogo 8, Bura and Nanighi 7 each, Boka 5, and Sala 3.
He said that the security agencies have the names, firearm makes, and owners of the same and their mobile numbers.
The regional commissioners tasked the chiefs and their assistants to take the lead in ensuring that the firearms are surrendered, failure to which they will be held personally accountable.
“We are aware that the chiefs and their assistants know these individuals, and they should ask them to surrender the arms. If they refuse, then we shall use force to get these arms,” he said.
“There are those who are planning to flee. If we have all this information about them, then wherever you go, we shall find you. I want to caution those who will surrender old and unserviceable arms that we shall not accept them. We know the arms are what we are looking for; you will not fool us,” he added.
Peace leaders and elders who spoke agreed with the regional commissioner in launching the disarmament operation but were quick to blame the security agencies for failing to arrest and prosecute those with illegal firearms.