By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, July 13, 2026 - The National Police Service (NPS) has announced fresh gains in the ongoing campaign against illegal firearms after more weapons were voluntarily surrendered in Elgeyo Marakwet and Tana River counties, regions that have long grappled with armed violence, livestock theft and inter-community conflicts.
According to the NPS, Elgeyo Marakwet has now recorded the recovery of 357 illegal firearms and 2,342 rounds of ammunition following the latest surrender of another illicit weapon.
In neighbouring Tana River County, two illegally acquired AK-47 rifles and 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were also voluntarily handed over to security agencies.
The recoveries form part of a nationwide disarmament exercise aimed at reducing the proliferation of small arms that have fuelled insecurity in several parts of the country.
"Every weapon recovered tells two stories: one of a crime averted, and another of a community made safer," the NPS said in a statement.
Police said each firearm removed from circulation reduces the likelihood of armed robberies, livestock theft, retaliatory attacks and other violent crimes that have disrupted livelihoods in affected regions.
The service attributed the progress to sustained intelligence-led security operations and increasing cooperation from members of the public, who have continued to surrender illegal weapons and provide information on criminal activities.
"The growing partnership demonstrates that lasting peace is built not through the possession of illegal weapons, but through collective responsibility, trust and respect for the law," the statement said.
The NPS pledged to sustain the operation through intelligence gathering, strategic partnerships and community engagement.
The latest recoveries come as security agencies intensify efforts to curb armed violence in parts of the North Rift and Coast regions.
Elgeyo Marakwet has for years been one of the counties most affected by banditry, cattle rustling and retaliatory attacks involving armed groups operating along the volatile Kerio Valley. The violence has claimed dozens of lives, displaced families and disrupted education, farming and other economic activities.
In Tana River, recurring clashes between pastoralist and farming communities over grazing land, water resources and boundaries have periodically erupted into deadly violence. The county has also experienced frequent cases of livestock theft, with illegal firearms enabling criminal gangs to carry out raids and evade security operations.
The government has in recent years intensified disarmament operations in both counties as part of broader efforts to restore security, dismantle criminal networks and create conditions for social and economic development.
Security agencies have maintained that reducing the number of illegal firearms in civilian hands remains critical to ending cycles of violence and improving public safety in the affected regions.
More from Kenya