The government has declared 12 locations in Tana River County as disturbed and dangerous due to ongoing insecurity. Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki, in a gazette notice dated October 11, 2024, stated that the order would take effect immediately and last for 30 days.
He explained that the decision followed consultations with the National Security Council. “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 106 (1) of the National Police Service Act, 2011, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, in consultation with the National Security Council, declares the following parts of Tana River County as security disturbed and dangerous,” the notice read.
The order applies to areas in Bangale Sub-County and Tana North Sub-County. Affected locations in Bangale include Madogo, Areri, Saka, Sala, Mororo, and Mbalambala, while those in Tana North include Hirimani, Hosingo, Dukanotu, Chewele, Nanighi, and Bura.
The notice further outlined that it would take effect from 6:30 p.m. on October 11, 2024, and remain in force for 30 days, though it could be extended or revoked by the Cabinet Secretary.
Following the directive, Inspector-General of National Police Service Douglas Kanja instructed residents in these areas to surrender all firearms to the police for safekeeping. “On the taking effect of this notice, all inhabitants of the said areas are ordered, with immediate effect, to surrender all arms in their possession to the nearest Police Station, Police Post, Police Camp, and National Government Administration Offices during the hours of the day for safe custody,” stated Kanja in the same gazette notice. He added that, “All arms surrendered shall be returned to their owners upon the revocation or termination of this notice.”
This announcement comes after six more people were killed in the county on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 14 as fighting between communities in the area intensified. The violence, which began about a week ago in the Anole area, has since spread to other villages, including Nanighi, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes in search of safety. Many of them are nursing injuries, with some in critical condition in various hospitals.
