Police responds to arming of reservists amid rising tension

In an article published by the star magazine, it indicated that Police was plans to arm reservists. This was after about 350 newly purchased police assault weapons, part of a 10,000-gun consignment, were secretly transferred from Nairobi but intercepted in Nakuru.

The weapons, AK-47s and G3 rifles, were quietly removed from a police warehouse in Nairobi on New Year’s Eve. They were intercepted by police in Nakuru where they are being guarded.

Details of the secret movement of the firearms have caused panic and speculation within the top circles of security chiefs at Jogoo House and in the Rift Valley.

This caused a lot of tensions to Kenyans many reading malice in the secret transfer of guns.

But the National Police service has come out to debunk the information as published by the star.

They have offered a conclusive information regarding the issue of arming of reservists, this is what they had to say:

For the record, the NPS does not, and is not engaged in any secret arming of Reservists as borne in our records as well the fact that those recruited are known to the residents where they serve.

So far we have recruited 11,000 Police Reservists in operation areas in the North Rift and North Eastern regions, leading to a considerable decline in cases of banditry and cattle rustling in those areas.

We therefore take great exception to the insinuation that recruitment of Reservists is in any way linked to politics. Additionally, as part of the ongoing reforms within the Police, we plan to raise the numbers of officers in the cattle rustling prone areas that will…

Our attention has been drawn to an article published in today’s edition of The Star alleging that there was secret arming of Police Reservists. The article is sadly a mixture of few facts, and lots of half truths and outright falsehoods.

— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) January 14, 2019