Illegal firearms surrendered in Turkana County amid intensified security crackdown
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, March 9, 2026Police in Turkana County have recovered illegal firearms as the security agencies step up the crusade against crime and also curb the proliferation of illicit weapons in the area.
Taking it to their social media handles on Monday, March 9, 2026, the National Police Service (NPS) has confirmed that the firearms were voluntarily surrendered on Sunday, March 8, 2026, as part of the continuing security crackdown. Operation Maliza Uhalifu, a multi-agency operation to bring peace to the county and improve security in the neighbouring areas that have, in the past, has been plagued by banditry and armed crimes.
“Operation Maliza Uhalifu continues to record progress in enhancing security within Turkana County through coordinated multi-agency efforts.
“The operation brings together key security stakeholders who continue to work collaboratively to combat crime and curb the proliferation of illegal firearms. Yesterday, two more firearms were surrendered, demonstrating growing cooperation between security agencies and the communities in the region,” NPS stated.
The National Police Service further said that the most recent surrender indicators are increasing collaboration between local communities and ground-based security agencies. Officials indicate that the readiness of locals to surrender their illegal arms means that people have more faith in the security operation and the overall initiatives of stabilising the region.
According to the NPS, the operation dubbed ‘Operation Maliza Uhalifu’ unites various security stakeholders, such as the police and other law enforcement units, as well as administrative leaders in the area, together in a multifaceted plan aimed at destroying criminal networks and repossessing illegally obtained firearms.
According to security officials, the operation has remained stable in terms of increased patrols, intelligence-based operations and community engagement. The citizens have also been urged to back the programme by giving information that could assist the security agencies to trace and capture the illegal firearms and criminal components.
The police once again reiterated that voluntary surrender of weapons is also a major part of the campaign; the authorities are trying to minimise the number of weapons that are in the hands of civilians, and this does not necessarily involve forceful disarmament. The National Police Service has promised to continue with the momentum of the operation by committing to consistent security patrols and sensitisation of the people, as well as being in close association with community leaders and residents of Turkana.
Residents in Turkana County have, in recent years, been pressured by security agencies to hand over illegal firearms as part of the broader government-led measures to contain banditry and inter-country insecurity in the area.
The government, on various occasions, has given orders to the citizens who may be in possession of unlicensed weapons to voluntarily surrender them to the police or the local government.
The police service has insisted that illegal possession of guns has been a key factor in cattle rustling, inter-communal warfare and attacks by criminal gangs holding guns in the greater North Rift and the border areas.
Consequently, the continued process of disarmament has been one of the main initiatives towards restoring sanity. The government is of the opinion that further handing in of arms in the community through volunteer means will be very instrumental in enhancing the current security efforts and achieving long-term peace in Turkana and the neighbouring counties.